Everybody Wants To Rule The World
by notthetoothfairy
Summary: Rachel has a master plan for Kurt and her to get into NYADA. There is just one issue: Kurt finds it hard not to fraternize with the enemy when the competition is Blaine Anderson, Quinn's dreamy half-brother. Little does he know Blaine is only a minor complication compared to the other problems waiting to surface during his senior year. Klaine High School AU & Fabranderson siblings.
1. Acting On Your Best Behavior

_**A/N: Dedicated to the lovely a-simple-rainbow because she wanted Quinn/Blaine siblings and I just couldn't help myself. She also offered to beta this story and did an amazing job helping me turn a drabble-esque draft into a huge thing (and by huge, I mean the biggest thing I've written so far). THANK YOU.**_

 _ **I've got most of this already written and polished, so I'll update every weekend! :)**_

* * *

 **\- Acting On Your Best Behavior -**

"We have a problem, Kurt" Rachel announces grimly when she sits down at their table and drops her bag next to her chair unceremoniously. It isn't until Mercedes elbows him in the ribs that Kurt looks up from his lunch tray with a confused frown, still trying to decide if he should finish his butternut squash soup even though it tastes a little funky.

"Huh?" he mumbles before clearing his throat. "Sorry, I was wondering whether I want to risk food poisoning or let this soup go to waste."

Artie picks up a spoon and takes some of Kurt's soup without asking. He swallows it with a completely unchanging poker face and waits a few seconds before deciding, "Yeah, that tastes like vomit."

Well, that settles it. Kurt pushes his tray as far away from his body as possible while Rachel tries to shush everyone who is making disgusted noises at Artie's comment.

"Have you heard, though?" she pushes on, shooting Kurt an expectant look.

"What?" Kurt asks and even though he really wants to hear the answer, he's a bit afraid of what might come next. Ever since Rachel and him went to Miss Pillsbury's office last week and decided to audition for the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts in the end of the school year, she has been coming up with crazy little missions for the two of them. The last one went absolutely terrible. Kurt is not looking for a repeat of listening to a perfectly trained group of theatre kids performing a musical mash-up as if they could do it in their sleep.

"Blaine Anderson skipped a grade – he's a senior now!" Rachel says, a furious frown taking over her features.

Kurt raises an eyebrow at that. "And that concerns us because…?" he asks, trying not to sound too interested. Nobody really needs to know that he thinks Quinn's half brother is very, extremely, ridiculously easy on the eyes.

Not that they've talked much. Except for that one time where they were paired for an exercise during Cheerios practice about half a year ago. Blaine seemed like a funny and smart guy. Kurt has been keeping an eye on him during practice. He dances with enthusiasm, his smile lights up the whole room and even Coach Sylvester's insults reserved for Blaine sound like compliments in disguise. So, Blaine is kind of impressive… and Kurt doesn't really know what sort of a problem could arise for Rachel and him just because Blaine skipped a grade. In fact, having him in the same grade might give Kurt some opportunity to interact with him outside of cheerleading practice.

"Apparently, he's been wanting to skip for a while but he only managed to do it now because he needed to catch up on so much stuff," Rachel says. "And-"

"Maybe he wants to warn Quinn about the future!" Brittany cuts in, a bright look in her face as if she just answered a question in a quiz show. Kurt shakes his head at her with a fond smile.

Rachel waves her hand dismissively and continues ranting in that obnoxious tone her voice takes on when something is in the way of her goal. "And guess what I just caught him doing?"

Her question seems to be rhetorical because Kurt can't even shrug in response before she continues, "He was walking out of Miss Pillsbury's office and guess what was in his hand, Kurt?"

She's pausing. Not a rhetorical question this time, then. Kurt blinks slowly. "A pamphlet…?" he guesses. Sort of a given. It's Miss Pillsbury, after all.

"But what kind of pamphlet?"

"Jeez, Rachel, I don't know, just tell me," Kurt says, rolling his eyes for good measure.

"NYADA, Kurt, he had a NYADA pamphlet in his hand!" Rachel almost shouts and Kurt's glad she's only sitting across the table from him because Mike, who has been sitting right next to her, is rubbing his ear in pain and moving his tray and seat further away from her.

Then the information registers in his mind. Oh. _Oh._ Blaine is a senior now. He's researching college opportunities, too. And he might have his sights set on NYADA, just like Rachel and Kurt. And he is not friends with either of them. So…

"He's competition," Kurt breathes out.

Rachel's nodding at him and Kurt has a feeling that this whole thing is not going to go over well.

* * *

Blaine being a senior now also means that he's in several of Kurt classes. It's just Kurt's luck that they get assigned seats next to each other in English.

"Hi Kurt," Blaine says brightly and pulls out his textbook.

Kurt doesn't know what to make of the situation. Blaine isn't his enemy. It's not his fault that NYADA is a good school that is worth considering for anyone who wants to get a degree in musical theatre and that Kurt and Rachel want to audition for the same program.

But he knows he can't get too attached to Blaine now. Because what if Blaine is really competitive? What if he knows Kurt and Rachel are auditioning as well? He might be friendly on purpose. He might use Kurt's friendship to his advantage and stab him in the back right before the audition.

The thought makes Kurt cringe. Is he starting to turn into Rachel now? Sure, her fling with Jesse backfired spectacularly. But that doesn't mean everyone else on the planet is out to destroy them, right?

So he just mumbles a small "Hi Blaine" in response and pretends to be busy on his phone until the teacher arrives and demands their attention. Even though he kind of wants to pinch himself to make sure that Blaine really smells that nice and that he really does remember Kurt's name from that one practice half a year ago.

* * *

Rachel has a murderous look on her face the minute Blaine sets foot into the choir room. Mr. Schue is delighted by the newest addition to the Glee club. Blaine sits down next to Sugar and Rory, clearly trying to stay with the new kids and not interfere with the old dynamics for the time being, even though he does hug his sister a few rows down and smiles at Kurt when he passes his chair.

Rachel immediately elbows him and hisses, "Have you been talking to him?"

"Relax, we're just sitting next to each other in English class."

"Oh my god," Rachel says.

"What?" Kurt asks. "It's not like I asked to be seated next to him. Besides, he seems like-"

"Kurt, this is perfect, you can totally spy on him without making it known that we are going to be his NYADA competition. We have a good advantage there, he doesn't know what we want but we know what _he_ wants."

Yeah, Rachel has officially gone insane. Kurt rolls his eyes at her.

"Rachel," he says slowly and seriously, "I am not going to spy on him. We're not in a James Bond movie. What would he even have to hide?"

"He'd make such a pretty Bond, though," Tina sighs from behind them and they both turn their heads with raised eyebrows.

"What?" Tina says defensively. "He's good-looking. Last time I checked that wasn't a crime."

"He doesn't play for your team, though, sweetie," Mike tells her cheekily. Tina sticks her tongue out at him and gives him a soothing pat on the knee.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that you're jealous," she retorts. They stare at each other for a second before breaking out into a grin and leaning in for a kiss simultaneously.

Rachel turns her head back towards Kurt.

"You know what?" she says. "If he's gay, you could seduce him and make him forget all about NYADA."

Kurt groans. "Forget it, Rachel."

"Think about it, Kur-"

"No, you think about it," Kurt tells her. "He's a nice guy and he just wants to audition for the same school as us. I'm okay with trying to best him in the auditions and whatnot but I am not going to mess with him." He looks over at Blaine who is engaged in an enthusiastic discussion with Rory and adds, "Besides, he's probably got a boyfriend or something."

"I heard he's single," Mercedes says from where she's sitting next to Kurt. Rachel's eyes practically glow with the news and Kurt glares at her.

"Rachel, no. I will not play along with your insane little mind games."

She huffs. "Fine. But we will have to step up our game."

* * *

Stepping up their game is all that Rachel can think and talk about over the next few days. She is more determined than ever and even printed out tentative schedules for both of them, listing all the extracurricular activities they need to get involved in to heighten their chances of getting into NYADA.

"Rachel, how am I going to find the time to join the debate team?" Kurt says, feeling exhausted just _looking_ at everything Rachel wants him to achieve before the end of the school year. He is sitting on Rachel's bed, or rather trying to find a place to sit, between piles of sheet music (for their next Glee club assignment), more sheet music (for their audition for the school musical) and even more sheet music (for their NYADA audition).

"Blaine is on the debate team," Rachel points out from where she is sitting in front of her make-up table, rearranging her beauty products in a more logical order so she can get ready earlier in the mornings and practice half an hour more than usual.

Kurt is both glad and terrified that he isn't as obsessed with his career as Rachel is with hers.

"And being on the team is going to help _him_ with _his_ NYADA application," Rachel continues, shaking a bottle of hairspray to see how much is left. "Besides, if you're going to run for senior class president, knowing how to win a debate can't hurt."

Kurt knows that Rachel has a point. So he decides to revisit the topic later and continue perusing the schedule Rachel gave him.

"Umm," he speaks up after a few minutes. "Why does it say cheerleading 'captain' instead of just 'practice' on here?"

Rachel turns to face him. "Because you're going to be the captain, duh."

She can't see the disbelief on his face because she's already turned back around.

"Rachel," Kurt says slowly, "you know that's impossible. Quinn is the captain of the Cheerios. Has been for two years, actually."

Rachel doesn't say anything but Kurt can see her smiling at her reflection in the mirror. It looks a bit evil, actually. Does she know something he doesn't?

He loves Rachel, really. She might not be flawless, even though she certainly thinks she is, but she has a good heart. They have the same interests and spending time with her is a lot more fun than he would ever thought back when he was a jealous sophomore. She always knows how to cheer him up and their movie nights have become one of Kurt's favorite pastimes.

But there is one thing that Rachel still does that Kurt doesn't agree with at all. She sabotages Finn and Quinn's relationship as much as she can.

Kurt gets it. He's been there, after all. Shoving Quinn out of the picture was once everything he dreamed about. But he's gotten over it, if only begrudgingly. Rachel, however, has not.

And now that Finn is his brother, Kurt cannot help but feel guilty whenever Rachel tries to put an end to the relationship. Kurt knows that Quinn and Finn have their issues and that Finn is definitely still interested in Rachel despite his numerous attempts to not let it get to him.

"Rachel, are you-" he starts to say but is interrupted by the sound of his ringtone coming from his messenger bag. He leans over the edge of the bed to retrieve it and is surprised to see that Finn is calling him. _Speak of the devil_ , he thinks.

"Hey, Kin Finn," he greets him and sees Rachel spinning around in her chair excitedly out of the corner of his eye.

Finn doesn't call him "brother from another mother" and instead just asks him if they can talk. Kurt frowns. Something feels wrong.

"Everything okay?" he asks.

"Not really. Just… can you come home?"

Kurt glances at Rachel who is hanging onto every word. It's probably for the best if he leaves and talks to Finn in private.

"Yeah, I can come home," he says, watching for Rachel's reaction. Her shoulders slump a bit but other than that, she seems… not that surprised.

Kurt hangs up and leaves Rachel with a quick kiss to her forehead and the promise of calling her later to discuss Glee club issues.

* * *

"Come on, Finn, you didn't ask me to come home to meditate with me in silence, did you?" Kurt says, crossing his arms over his chest and shooting Finn a pointed look.

His brother hasn't talked at all since Kurt came home and he seems to be in a more miserable state than Kurt has ever seen him in.

"Can you make me some warm milk first?" Finn croaks.

Kurt nods and tries to hide how worried he is. He gets a big glass of milk and a cookie from the kitchen and sits back down on the bed once he places the items on Finn's bedside table. Finn hasn't moved at all, still sitting at the edge of his bed, looking down at his lap where he is twisting his fingers.

"I got you a cookie, too," Kurt says and Finn hits his breaking point. He lets out a sob while grabbing his glass and spills some milk on his shirt.

"Quinn is pregnant," he manages to say between more sobs. Kurt's heart sinks. That scenario hadn't crossed his mind on the way home, even though he imagined it would have something to do with Quinn.

"Are you sure? Did she-", he asks but Finn interrupts the question with a jerky nod.

"Yeah, she took a test. And she wants to keep the baby," he mumbles, calming down after a few sips of milk. "What am I gonna do, Kurt?"

Kurt is a bit lost.

"Deal with it the best you can," he says finally, if not very helpful. He sighs. "Get some help. And help her through it, too. She must be so scared."

Finn nods again. "Her family won't be happy. Her stepmom is okay but her father is… difficult."

Kurt rubs Finn's back soothingly. "Try to stay focused on the good things. At least you're happy with her, right?"

His heart breaks a little bit when Finn doesn't say anything.

* * *

Blaine seems a bit distracted the next day in English. He doesn't even say hi. Kurt realizes that all this time he hasn't even given the fact that their siblings are dating much thought.

Should they be bonding over becoming uncles at the same time now?

What a conversation starter. _So I heard my brother knocked up your sister. Welcome to the family._

Kurt shakes his head at himself and keeps just as quiet as Blaine.

He does lend him a pencil five minutes into the lesson when Blaine doesn't seem to find his, though. Blaine shoots him a thankful smile. Kurt finds it hard not to return it.

* * *

Coach Sylvester makes Blaine co-captain of the Cheerios, or, as Santana puts it in Glee club the next day, "Queen and King B are officially going on my nerves with their nepotism."

Later in Kurt's bedroom, the news of Blaine's promotion have Rachel running in circles like a dog chasing its tail.

"Kurt, this is bad," she says, gesturing wildly at him and almost hitting him in the head when she starts walking again at the same time.

"Well, what could I have done?" Kurt asks. "He's Quinn's brother _and_ Sue's favorite on top of being a good cheerleader."

"You won't get anywhere with that attitude," Rachel says, flopping down on his bed.

Annoyed, Kurt retorts, "What attitude? There is nothing I could have done."

Rachel shakes her head and sits back up. "Maybe there's still a way," she says. "Quinn won't be on the team much longer."

Kurt stares at her. Does she-

"Oh, Kurt, please," Rachel huffs out. "I know why you didn't tell me and it's admirable, but I am very much aware that Quinn is pregnant."

It all makes sense now. Kurt finally finds himself adding the puzzle pieces.

"You knew before me," he says slowly. "You knew that Sue would need a new Cheerios captain. You weren't surprised when Finn called me and asked me to come home."

Rachel nods.

And then it doesn't make sense anymore.

"Wait, why aren't you upset? You knew all along that Finn's girlfriend was pregnant and you didn't even sing a sad ballad in Glee club? That doesn't seem like you at all."

Rachel smiles sadly and positions herself across from Kurt on the bed. She pauses for a moment and looks him in the eye. Kurt has to hand it to her, she's got the dramatic effects down.

"That's because the baby isn't Finn's."

* * *

Kurt doesn't know what to do. After Rachel tells him how Puck came out with the truth after they had a mutual jealousy make-out session (Kurt knows better than to question either of their actions), he is left with more questions than answers.

Should he tell Finn? Is he even in the position to tell Finn? Would it be better for Finn to worry about being a father or to be upset about his girlfriend cheating on him with his best friend? Is he betraying Finn's confidence by not telling him? Would he betray Rachel's confidence if he did tell his brother the truth?

By the end of the day, his head hurts and he goes to bed without moisturizing, willing his mind to shut up so that he can sleep.

He dreams of Blaine that night.

"I thought we were co-uncles!" he screams at Dream Blaine who just got promoted to captain of the Cheerios and keeps doing excited cartwheels while Sue Sylvester cheers and waves her pompoms in the air.

Dream Blaine stops for a second to look at him with a wicked smirk. "And you think that meant something? I'm kicking you out of the Cheerios and then I'm going to kick your ass at everything else!"

He wakes up drenched in sweat, stubs his toe on the bed on the way to his bathroom and gets hairspray in his eye while doing his hair.

He wishes Rachel had just kept her mouth shut.

* * *

His day continues to be an epic adventure of failure and embarrassment.

He gets himself and Finn to school late because of car trouble. He conjugates some French verbs wrong, earning himself a worried look from his teacher. And then he trips over Azimio's out-stretched foot in the cafeteria and lands face first in his plate of spaghetti, to the amusement of everyone within twenty feet of him. Tina helps him up and gets him some tissues to clean up but both his cheerleading uniform and his mood are ruined for the day.

When he arrives in English class, looking like someone emptied an entire dumpster on him, Blaine shoots him a sympathetic look.

"Bad day?" he asks.

Kurt grimaces. "Having a blast," he grits out.

"Maybe it'll cheer you up that Coach Sylvester won't need the boys in practice today?" Blaine asks.

"How do you know?"

Blaine shrugs. "Co-captain meeting this morning. It'll be announced later."

Kurt sighs. "I guess it's a plus." He rummages through his bag and pauses. "Oh, for heaven's sake."

"What?" Blaine asks, concern seeping into his voice.

"I forgot my textbook."

When he looks back up from his bag, Blaine has already repositioned his own book in the middle of the table and scoots a bit closer so that they can both use his book.

Kurt thinks, not for the first time, that Blaine would make an amazing friend if it wasn't for the fact that Rachel would kill him for socializing with a sworn enemy.

* * *

Finn was right – Mr. Fabray and Mrs. Anderson are not happy at all when they find out that she is pregnant. It is a Thursday night when Finn and Quinn show up at the doorstep of the Hummel-Hudson household, Finn holding a completely distressed Quinn in his arms and blinking back tears himself.

Burt and Carole assure her how much she is welcome to stay with them for the time being. Kurt leans against the wall in the hallway with crossed arms, watching through doorway as they all sit down in the living room, discussing the situation.

 _She's cheating on Finn_ , Kurt thinks. _She has no right invading this house, dragging us all into the mess, leaving Finn clueless._

Quinn seems to sense that someone is watching her and lifts up her head to look at Kurt. She frowns when she notices Kurt's icy gaze. Kurt just raises an eyebrow in a silent challenge – _say something and I'm going to spill_. He isn't sure if she understands his silent threat but she blinks quickly and averts her eyes. She doesn't look at Kurt again that evening.

Later, that night, before he's heading to bed, Kurt hears Carole crying in the living room and his father trying to calm her down. He swallows around the lump in his throat. The guilt of knowing whose baby it really is comes crashing down on him again. He hurries to his own room and closes the door with a heavy sigh.

* * *

He doesn't have another nightmare about Blaine but he doesn't exactly sleep well, either. His mind is filled with Quinn and cheating and Finn and loyalty. In the end, he keeps tossing and turning, barely finding a messy rhythm between dozing and starting up from some half-sleep state, sweaty and restless.

Breakfast is quiet. Burt is still asleep, Carole is humming to herself while making breakfast, though the melody sounds a bit more forced than usual to Kurt's ears, Quinn is staring down at her plate in thought, and Finn tries to begin a conversation every now and then, always ending in awkward silence. Kurt just looks ahead with an iron gaze cast on the clock on the wall, willing it to just strike half past already so that they can finally get their stuff and leave for school.

He needs to talk to Finn. But now that Quinn lives with them, will he even be able to catch him alone? Maybe at school? _Bad idea_ , Kurt thinks. _A topic as delicate as this should be discussed in a quiet place._ But where else? After school, there's Glee club. Quinn will be there. After Glee club, Quinn and him will both be headed to cheerleading practice. Maybe if he races home, if he skips showering at school and do it at home instead, he can be there a few minutes earlier than Quinn. But a few minutes are not enough. Plus, Kurt remembers with a grimace, since they now live together and Finn will head back home earlier than them, they will probably both ride in Kurt's car because Carole will pick Finn up from Glee like she usually does.

Dammit.

And Finn has football practice in the early evening. By the time Kurt and Quinn will be home, he will be packing his sports bag for practice, anyway. Kurt could offer to drive him or maybe pick him up but then again, he's back to the quiet space problem. And since Finn usually gets a ride with Puck, Kurt might end up having to take Puck with them, which would be just as unfortunate, if not more, given the situation.

He wishes he could just talk to Finn in their own home. Maybe Quinn will head out with friends in the evening? Kurt glances at Quinn over the rim of his coffee mug. No luck there. She looks nothing like the superior, cunning, sociable persona she usually is. Her shoulders are slumped, her grip around the fork and knife she's holding is shaky, there are circles under her eyes and her hair even looks a bit greasy. Kurt has a feeling she won't be going out. He wouldn't even be surprised if she didn't come to school at all.

It turns out that he's underestimating her, though. Exactly five minutes before they have to go, Quinn heads upstairs quickly and apparently works some kind of magic because when comes back down, she looks stunning as always. Kurt is almost intrigued and impressed enough to ask how she did it but he bites his tongue.

Finn and Kurt amicably fight over the radio station on their way to school for a while. It has become an old brotherly quarrel for them. Kurt insists on driving, always, because he doesn't trust anyone with his baby, and Finn usually calls dibs on the music they listen to. Sometimes, Kurt stays fiercely stubborn but today he just doesn't have the energy. As soon as he gives in, the car is filled with rock music that does nothing to calm Kurt's mind.

Whenever he checks the rearview mirror, he sees Quinn observing him with a quiet, somewhat apprehensive look on her face. She's chewing on her bottom lip and doesn't even back away when he stares back pointedly. The exchange is making him strangely uncomfortable and he all but flees from the car as soon as they reach the McKinley parking lot.

He claims to be late for a pre-class chat with Rachel so that Finn won't wonder why he is in such a hurry to leave them behind. "See you later for lunch or Glee club or whatever," he mumbles quickly and rushes to the main entrance.

Instead of actually meeting Rachel to perfect his alibi, which he could have since he sees her fiddling with some pictures in her locker as he hastens through the hallways, he ends up going to the bathroom and just leaning against the wall for a while to collect his thoughts.

Okay. New plan. He needs to talk to Finn and Quinn won't be home until after Cheerios practice… oh. Kurt frowns. How did he not think of it? He needs to skip cheerleading practice. He can drop some hints during Glee club that he's not feeling well. That way nobody will be surprised if he ends up going home early.

He pushes his body off the wall. He will need to subtly drop some hints for Rachel as well. She won't buy it if he isn't thorough and since she is still dead set on making him captain, she will not let him skip cheerleading practice if he doesn't play his part well. He looks at himself in the bathroom mirror and practices his cough. It sounds a bit fake but it'll do. He squints at his hair. Maybe…

He lets some water run from the tap, gathers some in his palm and runs his fingers through his hair. Finn better be glad he has such an awesome brother because there are only very few people in his world Kurt would ruin his hairdo for.

"Okay, better," he mutters to himself, inspecting the slightly shabby-messy look he has created. It might be convincing enough.

But while his styling is now perfect for his excuse to leave school after Glee club, his timing is apparently not up to speed. As soon as he closes the bathroom door behind himself, his body bumps straight into Quinn's, who seems collected enough at first but raises a quizzical brow at his hair after a split second of fake superiority.

"What's with the hair?" she asks pointedly.

The last time Kurt heard that question was back in his sophomore year when that horrible April Rhodes lured him into her dangerous fangs with muscle magazines and booze. His instinct is telling him to run right back into the bathroom and fix it. But he is taking one for the team. This is for Finn's benefit.

He feigns confusion. "What? My hair?"

"Yes, your hair."

"I woke up like this."

Quinn takes a step forward at the same time as Kurt tries to bypass her. He ends up standing closer to the wall with Quinn blocking his way. Did she just corner him?

"Kurt, we got to school in the same car. Your hair was fine," Quinn reminds him. "And I've known you since middle school. There is never anything wrong with your hair."

"Is there anything wrong now?" Kurt asks, attempting to sound panicked.

Quinn isn't buying any of it. In fact, Kurt can practically see Quinn waving a five dollar bill in his face and walking away without buying anything.

Kurt sighs.

"Okay, let's cut the crap," he tells her. "I know, okay?"

Her face goes sort of rigid. Kurt uses it to his advantage and slips out of her trap, cornering her instead. The surprise on her face only lasts a few seconds and Kurt almost doesn't catch it. Almost.

Slipping back to a bored expression, she asks, "Know what?"

If Quinn was waving a five dollar bill a few seconds ago, Kurt is holding at least fifty bucks in his own hand now.

"You know exactly what I mean," he lets her know with a matching bored tone. Two can play at this game, and Kurt has practiced imaginary arguments with Quinn enough in sophomore year to know that he can hold his own. Funnily enough, that time, he also imagined them fighting about Finn. Granted, in a much different setting, but it's good to know his practice wasn't completely in vain.

"Actually, I don't," Quinn spits. "All I know is that you've not been very welcoming ever since I came to stay with your family last night."

Kurt can see right through her angry act. Somewhere underneath those narrowed eyes and the crossed arms, there is a nervous energy that is threatening to make itself known any minute now. However, she is clearly waiting for Kurt to spell it out. She probably has that tiny shred of hope left telling her that he doesn't actually know. He decides to drop the pretense and goes for full confrontation.

"Would you welcome someone to your home who claims to carry your brother's child but is actually a lying cheat?" he hisses.

Quinn's eyes flitter from Kurt to their surroundings immediately, scanning the corridor for any listeners. So far, nobody's paying attention, as most of the students on the second floor are lounging by their lockers, drawing out the time they have until they need to head to class. There is nobody in their vicinity who could have heard Kurt. Quinn looks at Kurt again.

"Kurt," she warns, nervous tone still present but laced with sudden urgency. "Please don't."

"Please don't what?" Kurt asks in a faked sweet voice. "Spill the beans?"

"I don't have anywhere to go," Quinn pleads.

"And that is nobody's problem but yours," Kurt tells her and starts walking away from her.

For a minute, he thinks she is going to let it go, but she does call after him, "What's with the hair?"

He spins around with a sly smile. "None of your business," he sing-songs and moves through the filling hallway quickly so she won't follow him.

* * *

Rachel, as it turns out, is much easier to convince than Quinn.

"Oh my god, Kurt!" she exclaims as he shows up at her locker between third and fourth period, coughing into the sleeve of his sweater and slouching a bit in an attempt to look sickly. He mumbles something about feeling sick, effectively causing her to rant about pre-audition sickness having numerous effects on one's overall performance even if they are out of the woods by then. She also pulls out a face mask from her locker and Kurt doesn't even have time to ask her why she keeps medical supplies in her locker as if she's waiting for the apocalypse to come before she rambles on about the dangers a sore throat can hold for the rest of a singer's life.

She doesn't stop her rant during lunch time, either, and Kurt can't help but groan at one point.

"Rachel, I'm sick," he says. "Not dying, okay?"

She looks him up and down.

"You might as well be," she decides. "You look terrible."

The comment makes Kurt's hair stand on end but he ignores the feeling in the favor of playing his part. If it wasn't for the hair and his sickly posture, he'd be looking entirely fine. Rachel is really going overboard with her analysis.

"Yeah, Kurt, I've never seen you so out of shape," Artie agrees, and Kurt sends him a dark, murderous look that shuts him up.

He sulks his way through lunch and lets himself fall into the chair next to Blaine's in English class.

"… are you alright?" Blaine asks worriedly.

"I'm sick," Kurt mumbles, and half-expects Blaine to pull out a face mask, too, and treat him like an infected zombie. He is a singer, too, after all, and who knows if he is as crazy as Rachel with the whole NYADA plan.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Blaine says instead and offers Kurt the juice box that is sitting on his side of the desk.

Kurt stares at him. "I'll get you sick if I drink from the same straw as you," he protests. _And besides, I'm not even sick. Don't be nice to me, I'm doing this to tell my brother that your sister is lying to him._

Blaine waves a dismissive hand. "You can keep this one, I have more in my locker."

Kurt raises an eyebrow. "Any drugs in this?" he asks, torn between joking and showing actual concern for a person who seems to have a strange addiction to orange juice.

Blaine grins. "Nope, just lots of vitamins that will help you get rid of the cold."

Kurt feels a little bad for taking Blaine's juice but it's not like he can tell him the truth, so he accepts it with a small "thank you".

"Anytime," Blaine answers and starts taking notes when their teacher begins to talk about important study guidelines for the class.

* * *

He has Econ with Finn and since they are sitting next to each other and doing partner projects, he can't help but contemplate telling his brother the truth. Sure, they're in school, in class no less, it's less than ideal, but he could stop pretending to be sick and just get it over with.

"Hey, you look less sick than at lunch," Finn says happily and Kurt flinches. Shoot. His brother isn't totally unobservant at times.

"It's all still a little blurry," he says vaguely but takes advantage of the fact that he's already been caught and doesn't reassume a slouched posture. Pretending to be sick isn't that easy.

"Maybe Quinn could give you some of these prenatal vitamins I bought for her yesterday after school," Finn suggests and continues to fill out their assignment sheet in front of them.

Kurt laughs. "Finn, those are for pregnant women."

Finn frowns. "Really? How do you know?"

"Prenatal…?" Kurt asks. Finn only shakes his head so Kurt continues, "It's Latin for 'before birth'."

"Oh." Finn nods. "That makes sense. The cashier looked at me all weirdly when I bought them."

Kurt smiles. "I can imagine how that would look a bit weird."

"Quinn has me buying all sorts of weird stuff," Finn says with a sigh. "I don't even know what half of it is, but it's super expensive, which means I can't buy the Xbox game I wanted."

Kurt gulps. There it is. The moment. It would be so easy to just-

"Hey, Finn, I have-" he starts but gets interrupted by their Econ teacher.

"No talking unless it's about the assignment," she snarls and moves onto the next table to scold someone else.

"Dude, she's scary," Finn whispers when she is out of earshot.

Kurt feels frozen to the spot but he manages a nod. Maybe it's better if he just sticks to his plan.

* * *

Rachel is so worried already that Kurt doesn't need much of an excuse when he kicks the acting up a notch during Glee club and Rachel is the first to suggest that maybe he should go home. He sniffs and nods, ignoring the burning look he can feel Quinn give him from the backrow.

"It's probably for the best," he croaks. "Rachel, would you walk me-"

"Actually," Quinn interrupts, and her voice sounds just as sweet and fake as Kurt's did this morning, "Rachel should practice her solo for sectionals some more, don't you think, Mr. Schue? I can walk you to your car, Kurt."

"Thanks, Quinn," Mr. Schue says, oblivious to the tension between Kurt and Quinn.

"No, Quinn, Rachel can-" he starts, but Rachel interrupts him the best she can with half of her face still hidden behind the face mask.

"She's right, I should practice my solo, and you two are on different harmony parts so nobody essential would be missing from the background," she says.

If this wasn't about something else entirely, he would probably slap his best friend across the face for a comment like that. Given the situation, though, he can only open his mouth and snap it shut again, desperately trying to find another excuse.

"Come on, Kurt, I'll even drive you home. You can't drive in a state like this," Quinn says.

Why does Quinn have to be so smart? Couldn't Finn sort-of-not-really knock up Brittany instead?

Reluctantly, he lets himself be escorted by Quinn. They're almost out in the hallway when Quinn turns back to the choir room and calls out, "Oh, Blaine? Could you tell Coach that we won't be at practice today?"

Kurt can see Blaine nod and shoot him a worried look, but Quinn is already dragging him out of side before he can mouth "thank you" or something along the lines.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asks, pulling him with her through the hallway. She's surprisingly strong and Kurt is struggling to keep up with her.

"I could ask you the same thing," he says bitterly.

"I'm trying to keep you from ruining my life."

"Your life is ruined whether you want it or not," Kurt spits, just as they reach the main entrance. "You're having a baby at eighteen, Quinn, right before graduation."

She stops in her tracks, glassy eyes boring into Kurt's.

"Exactly," she whispers. The grip on Kurt's shoulder loosens. "My life is already going down the drain, and Finn is the only thing I have left!"

Kurt bites his lip. There are a million things he wants to say, ranging from insults and accusations to words of comfort. He looks around.

"Let's talk in the car," he suggests.

The tension between them is still there as they walk over to where Kurt parked his car but there is a small change in their dynamics. Kurt can see Quinn letting down her guard, and he can feel himself retracting his own reservations, too.

"I just want to know," Kurt asks while he is fiddling with the keys in his pocket, "why you are doing this to Finn."

Quinn takes a deep breath and opens the door on the passenger side once the car is unlocked.

"I don't want to hurt him," she says, sliding into the seat next to Kurt and pulling out the seatbelt, stopping for a second to put a hand on Kurt's arm. "Please, Kurt, believe me, I am not trying to hurt him."

Kurt sighs. "But why, Quinn?"

"He's my best shot at making it work," she mutters sadly. "Puck won't do me any good, he was a mistake and there's that."

"He won't raise the baby with you?"

"We're talking about Puck here," Quinn says. "I know his ways. He will get bored with me as soon as he finds a new toy."

"Maybe not," Kurt insists. "Maybe he really loves you."

" _Finn_ really loves me. He's scared but at least he cares about the baby and making money and keeping me healthy and sane."

The school bell interrupts their conversation and they decide to head home before someone finds them in the parking lot. They'll have about half an hour until Finn gets home with Carole.

Whoa. Kurt realizes he suddenly went from planning a secret talk with Finn to having a secret talk with Quinn. It gets him back on track.

"Look, just because Finn is your boyfriend and he'd be a more ideal choice than Puck, that doesn't make it okay that you're lying to him."

Quinn nods, gaze cast down onto her lap. "I know," she says simply. "I feel like hell for putting him through this. But I don't have anywhere to go. Your family was nice enough to take me in. I can't go back to my parents and I can't raise a baby on my own."

"What about adoption?"

"Why, are you interested?" Quinn snaps and then looks out of the window for a minute. "Sorry."

"Hormones?" Kurt asks.

"No, pent-up anger," Quinn admits. "I've thought about getting an abortion or giving the baby up for adoption but… I don't know, I can't. Someone is growing inside of me, because of me. Sure, if I was younger, I think I'd give adoption a shot, but I'm eighteen… I know that's young but old enough to make it if I have someone to support me through it."

Kurt taps his fingers on the wheel restlessly. "What if Finn finds out?"

Quinn sighs. "It will happen sooner or later, won't it?"

Kurt spares a quick look at her before focusing back on the road. "I guess."

"I'd rather it be later," Quinn says. "I need to figure out a plan, what to do, how to deal with this… and who knows, maybe Finn and I will have a future together anyway."

"Do you love him?" Kurt asks.

"Yes," Quinn says but her voice falters.

"Really?" Kurt pushes.

"Yes, I do. I was stupid and vulnerable the day I slept with Puck. I love Finn."

"But…?" Kurt asks because he doesn't feel like that's all there is.

Quinn pauses, opening her mouth a few times without any words coming out.

"But I'm not sure if we're happy," is what she settles for in the end.

They arrive at the Hummel-Hudson household. Kurt helps Quinn out of the car. They decide to go to Kurt's room to continue their talk.

Quinn hesitates when she gets to Kurt's room before stepping closer to his desk chair and sitting down on it a little primly. Kurt doesn't invite her to sit on the bed, even though he himself puts down his stuff next to it and gets comfortable. He feels a little bad but he figures he needs to settle their differences before letting her off the hook completely.

"You're not sure if you're happy…?" he prompts.

Quinn nods but doesn't say anything.

"So…?"

"Have you ever been in love, Kurt?"

Kurt shrugs. "No, not really, why?"

"Being in love isn't always sunshine and happiness," Quinn says. "When you love someone and you make a mistake and you hurt them, you feel ten times as bad. But it doesn't change that you're in love."

"But aren't you hurting Finn even more if you keep him in the dark about what's going on?" Kurt asks.

"Look, Kurt, I promise I'm not trying to manipulate him or anything, I just need some time to figure out what I'm going to do. My dad threw me out. I don't have any other family in Lima. I'm out of options right now."

Kurt rubs his eyes tiredly. "What are you asking of me?"

Quinn visibly cringes. "Not to say anything just now… please?"

Kurt looks at her for a long time. He thinks about telling Finn right after this conversation. He feels worse about it than before. He still feels like he is betraying Finn's confidence, has felt like it ever since he learned about the situation, but he also knows it is not his place to tell his brother. There's more to it than just this one side, and Quinn has been honest enough with him that he trusts her to not intentionally play games with Finn.

He sighs. He knows he has already sub-consciously made up his mind. Telling Finn would feel wrong, somehow.

"I don't like lying to Finn and I would rather you tell the truth," he mumbles, "but your secret's safe with me for the time being."

Quinn gets up from the chair and strides over to the bed to hug him quickly.

"Thank you, Kurt, thank you," she breathes out.

"It's okay," he says. It's really not but maybe he should just pretend he never knew anything about anyone. Wouldn't life be blissful?

* * *

Quinn retracts to Finn's bedroom and leaves Kurt alone for a few minutes before Carole and Finn come home. When Kurt hears the front door open, he steels himself for the wave of bad feelings that will crash over him as soon as he sees Finn.

He promised Quinn. It's not his secret to spill.

Besides Carole and Finn's voices, he can also make out Rachel's lilt from downstairs. He sighs to himself. He doesn't want to keep up the charade of being sick.

"Kurt, honey," Carole greets him as soon as she manages to escape Rachel's continuous rambling, "you're not feeling well?"

Oh, no. How could he forget that his stepmother is a nurse?

"Carole." He whispers her name because he knows Rachel and Finn are still talking but might barge in at any second. "Please don't be mad."

She frowns. "Why would I be?"

"I pretended to be sick because I was so tired. Quinn, too. She was tired, I mean, not pretending to be sick. We just really wanted to get out of cheerleading rehearsal."

"Why didn't you just skip?"

Leave it to Carole to make everything sound so simple.

"I don't know, it seemed like a good idea at the time," Kurt mumbles.

Carole laughs. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

Kurt thanks her but he can feel his heart banging against the ribcage at the words.

"Why don't Finn and Rachel know?" Carole asks.

"Um," Kurt says and tries to make up something believable. "The less people knew, the better for the acting."

Carole looks a little confused but at least she seems to buy it. "Alright then," she says. "I'll bring you some water anyway, you kids are never keeping yourselves hydrated enough."

"Kurt!" Rachel exclaims and rushes past Carole, pulling her face mask back on in the process. "How are you?" she adds, her words muffled by the mask.

Kurt grins. "Better. I think all I needed was a little power nap."

Carole winks at him as she leaves the room.

"I could still get you those vitamins," Finn teases.

Kurt looks at him. It hurts but he pushes the feeling away. "Please don't," he says with a small laugh.

"Finn, would you leave us alone for a moment?" Rachel asks suddenly. Finn looks a bit taken aback but he nods and leaves for his room.

Kurt shoots Rachel a confused look. "What is it?" he asks.

Rachel stops looking worried and looks a lot more cross instead. "Why didn't you tell me Quinn moved in with you?"

Oh.

"Well, you didn't let me say a word today besides 'I'm sick'," Kurt says. "It didn't come up."

Rachel seems to be appeased enough to change the topic.

"We should tell Finn about… _you know_ , shouldn't we?" she asks.

"No!" Kurt exclaims and Rachel stares at him like he's an alien.

"Why not, Kurt?" she asks. "He's being lied to."

"He wouldn't want to find out that way," Kurt tells her and he's only half-convinced it's the truth but he needs to sound confident enough to instill the same belief in Rachel. If anyone besides Quinn or Puck should tell Finn, it's Kurt, but certainly not Rachel. "Besides, I know what your motive behind it is. But he'd only feel betrayed if he found at that you knew before him."

That seems to do the trick. Rachel drops the topic immediately and instead starts telling him all about her upcoming solo.

* * *

Making the decision not to tell Finn about Puck and Quinn might not have been easy but it does relieve Kurt of the constant worrying over catching Finn alone, how to tell him and wondering if it would be right to tell him. Instead, it fills him with deep guilt. He doesn't know which sentiment is better. All of it has him feeling a little bit like he actually might be sick after all.

Luckily, he has Rachel and her beat-Blaine-to-the-punch NYADA master plan to keep him as busy as humanly possible. Between Glee club, Cheerios practice, campaigning for senior class president, and practicing for the West Side Story audition, Kurt feels like he doesn't have time for anything else besides breathing, eating and sleeping. He tells Rachel as much when she asks him why he hasn't joined the debate team yet.

Rachel, of course, has fully immersed herself not only in the debate team but the Black Student Union, too, which she proudly announces at lunch, causing Mercedes to have a laughing fit that she only barely manages to disguise as a cough.

It is two days before their auditions for West Side Story when Brittany decides to announce that she is running for senior class president herself instead of planning and supporting Kurt's campaign.

It is one day before their auditions when Blaine breaks the news to everyone in Glee club that he is campaigning as well, causing Rachel's jaw to drop and Kurt to turn towards his best friend with a matching horrified expression.

He briefly considers dropping everything and just living under a rock for the rest of his life because from the looks of it, everybody seemed to be on board with either Brittany or Blaine winning the election. Their popularity is a huge bonus, of course.

But really, he needs a ticket out of this cow town. If he wants to get into NYADA and move to New York with Rachel, he needs to toughen up. So he pushes through it and auditions the next day. He chooses a Streisand song, despite Rachel's initial protest, and he kills it. The song is a perfect choice for both his lower and upper register and he even uses props to make it more interesting. He leaves the stage feeling good about himself for the first time in days.

And then – then he makes a mistake. He hears Blaine greeting the judges and decides on a whim to go watch his competition's audition from the balcony. Hidden in the shadows, he watches as Blaine transforms into the perfect Tony right on that stage where Kurt just stood minutes ago, performing an amazing song, no doubt, but also a song completely disconnected from the role of Tony, and doing an overall fantastic job, but not displaying his relevant acting skills. Which is exactly what Blaine is doing.

He has heard Blaine sing before in Glee club but he still can't help but be in complete awe of the rich, smooth quality that has taken over his voice. Kurt can hear, right there in that moment, how much Blaine deserves the role – and a spot in the NYADA program.

Kurt admires and despises him at the same time.

He leaves the balcony with tears in his eyes before he can hear what the judges have to say about Blaine's undoubtedly stellar audition.


	2. Turn Your Back On Mother Nature

_**A/N: Thank you for following and reviewing!**_

 _ **I'm going to be busy over the weekend and I didn't want to leave it until Monday so this update is earlier than planned. :)**_

* * *

 **\- Turn Your Back On Mother Nature -**

A day later, the results are posted. Rachel will play Maria, which has Mercedes throwing a tantrum, and Kurt will be Officer Krupke. It is no surprise to Kurt that Blaine has gotten the lead. Even from his biased perspective, he has to admit that Blaine is a perfect fit for the role.

It still hurts, though, and Kurt doesn't congratulate Blaine when they both sit down at their desk in English. He can tell that Blaine can guess what the reason for his silence is because he keeps glancing at Kurt and sighing before turning his gaze away again.

 _Don't give in_ , Kurt tells himself. _He's competition, nothing else. Focus on NYADA._

Channeling his inner Rachel works even though he knows he is being unfair. Anyone would have given the role to the most fitting candidate. But doesn't he deserve a break?

He keeps moping for the remainder of the week, not breaking the stoic silence whenever Blaine is around, be it Glee club, cheerleading practice or English class.

Which is why he is beyond surprised – shocked, really – when Blaine suddenly shows up at his house.

"Hi, Kurt," he says with his usual bright smile, though it seems a bit off to Kurt.

He stares at the other boy for about a minute, trying to figure out what is happening.

Blaine clears his throat. "Um, is Quinn here?" he asks shyly.

"Oh!" Kurt exclaims, momentarily forgetting why he is upset with Blaine (or really isn't, why is this so hard to decide?). Of course Blaine is there to see Quinn. That really was a no-brainer, wasn't it?

Blaine is looking more confused than ever. "So… is she?" he asks again.

Kurt feels the need to face-palm. Or hit his head against the wall repeatedly, really. It'll have to wait until Blaine is gone, though.

"Sorry, I was- I mean, yes, uh, yeah, she's here," he gets out in one breath and the nearest wall still seems so tempting. He opens the door wider, finally remembering his manners. "Sorry, Blaine, please come in. She's in Finn's room, I think."

"Thanks, Kurt," Blaine says, stepping inside and removing his shoes in the hallway.

"Second to the right," Kurt provides and points to the stairs when it becomes apparent that Blaine has no idea which way to turn.

"And straight on til morning," he hears Blaine mumble as the other boy makes his way upstairs.

Kurt stays rooted on the spot.

Why can't his competition be a dumb jerk he couldn't care less about? Why does it have to be someone who sings like a dream and knows important pop culture references?

He goes back to his own room, deliberately not closing the door so he will know when Blaine leaves again (the plan of hitting his head against the wall is still very much on the list of possible reactions to his earlier display of stupidity), and distracts himself with an old Vogue magazine. Still, his mind can't help but wander back to Blaine and his stupidly charming demeanor. If Kurt wasn't mad at him and jealous of how much he is achieving when Kurt is still trying to get his foot in the door, he'd probably be head over heels for him.

He's been rereading the same paragraph over ten times when he hears Finn's bedroom door open and someone stepping back into the hallway. Sure enough, a few seconds later, Blaine walks by Kurt's open bedroom door. At first, Kurt thinks he is going to rush by without noticing Kurt. But then, Blaine turns suddenly and leans against the doorframe.

"Hey, um, Kurt?" he asks.

Kurt pretends to drag his eyes away from the magazine. "Yes, Blaine?" he says, keeping his voice cool enough to convey nonchalance and indifference.

Blaine steps into the room a little, his hands clasped tightly in front of his belly. He seems a bit nervous to Kurt. Why would he be nervous?

"Are we…" Blaine starts, clears his throat and then repeats himself, "Are we okay?"

Kurt inhales deeply. He wasn't counting on Blaine going with direct confrontation. Of course, he also wasn't counting on Blaine showing up at his house to visit his sister, so he really hasn't been preparing for these kinds of situations in the first place.

"What do you mean?" he asks, sitting up on the bed and putting the magazine aside.

"Well, you haven't talked to me ever since they announced the results for the West Side Story auditions and I just wanted to make sure that there are no bad feelings between us," Blaine says with his gaze on the floor rather than on Kurt.

Kurt feels trapped. He just doesn't have it in him. He can't be mad at someone as nice as Blaine, even though that same someone is slowly ruining all of his chances of getting into the school of his dreams.

He knows Rachel would tell him to stick it out, to not give in, to make Blaine's life a living hell.

He isn't Rachel, though.

"Sorry," Kurt says earnestly. "It's not… you. I've just been having little to no success lately. It's – well, it's messing with my head."

Blaine lets out a long breath and steps a bit closer.

"I'm sorry, too," he says. "I know you wanted Tony. I… I could have probably just withdrawn from the audition or told them that I wanted a smaller role."

"Oh my god, are you for real?" Kurt says without thinking. "Your audition was perfect."

Blaine gawks at him and – oh yeah, he didn't know Kurt was watching. Oops. "You were there?" Blaine asks quietly.

Kurt nods. "I couldn't help it, I heard you were auditioning for Tony and… god, Blaine, you were a completely different person up on that stage."

Blaine preens. "Thank you," he says, bouncing on his feet a little. "And… um. I heard you, too. From backstage. Your voice is amazing. Why doesn't Mr. Schue give you more solos?"

Kurt laughs. _Wow, this is so nice, I could get used to this_ , he thinks. "Good question," he says with a wink. "Pretty sure he might be tone deaf."

They both grin and there is a brief but comfortable silence settling over them when Quinn's head appears behind the door.

"Oh, Blainey, you're still here," she says. "Hi, Kurt."

"Hey, Quinn." Kurt waves at her. They have only talked a few times since they sorted things out between them but if Kurt isn't mistaken, they've both mutually decided to be… friends, sort of.

"I was going to ask you if you could help me with turning some of my clothes into maternity fashion?" Quinn asks, hesitation in her voice like she doesn't want to interrupt anything.

As much as Kurt wants to keep talking to Blaine – if Rachel knew, he'd be dead, but he's becoming an expert at hiding the truth, anyway – he can't turn down an opportunity to re-design clothes for someone as fashionable as Quinn.

"Sure, bring them over," he says, smiling at her and already getting up to get his sewing machine and some more fashion magazines.

Blaine is still standing in his room awkwardly when Kurt turns back around.

"Can I help?" he asks, looking at the items in Kurt's hand curiously.

Kurt looks him up and down and notices that he hasn't really seen Blaine out of the cheerleading uniform a lot. He's quite well-dressed, red jeans with a white belt, a simple black shirt topped off with a colorful, yet subtle bowtie. Blaine squirms a little under the scrutiny.

"Well, you do look like you know a thing or two about fashion," Kurt decides. "Why don't you help me peruse these magazines for some nice pregnancy looks?"

Blaine flashes him an excited smile and takes about half a dozen Vogue magazines from Kurt's arms.

"I think I remember a pregnancy fashion article from one of recent issues," he says, dropping most of the issues and himself on Kurt's bed unceremoniously and already flipping through the remaining magazine in his hands.

"You read Vogue?" Kurt asks happily, sitting down on the bed next to Blaine.

"Oh, please," Quinn snorts from the doorway, or at least Kurt assumes it's Quinn because her head is hidden from view by the huge stack of clothes she is carrying. "Blaine has been stealing my fashion magazines ever since he was twelve years old – and that doesn't say much because he didn't live with us before then."

Kurt laughs. "I wish I could say the same thing about Finn but the boy has as much fashion sense as a cocooned caterpillar."

Quinn laughs so hard she almost starts crying and Blaine is so visibly happy that his sister is having a good time that Kurt can't even bring himself to make a snarky comment at the fact that Blaine is currently reading a men's fashion article instead of looking for maternity fashion.

They work in perfect unison for the next few hours, Kurt and Blaine bookmarking and color-coding important articles with post-it notes and Quinn arranging her clothes in different piles by priority so they know what to work on first. By the time Finn comes home from football practice and Carole is done making dinner, they have already transformed two of Quinn's pants and three of her dresses into fashionable pregnancy wear.

When they decide to take a break, all three of them lying on their bellies next to each other on Kurt's bed, reading different Vogue issues, Kurt is so engrossed in an article written by Isabelle Wright and in the fact that Blaine is lying so close that their sides are almost glued together that he doesn't notice Burt leaning against his doorframe for a whole minute.

"Hey buddy, hey Quinn," his father finally says, "and …?"

Blaine gets up immediately and strides over to Burt to shake his hand.

"I'm Blaine, sir," he says, polite as ever. "I'm Quinn's brother."

Kurt shakes his head fondly at Blaine and then hurriedly pretends not to see the curious look his father gives him – raised eyebrows and the hint of a smile.

"No need for that sir nonsense," Burt tells Blaine. "Call me Burt."

Blaine smiles. "Thanks, Burt. And thank you for taking care of my sister."

Kurt glances at Quinn. Her smile stays on her face but it turns sad for the fraction of a second. Given how close she and Blaine seem to be, Kurt can't even begin to imagine how it must feel for her to be separated from him all of a sudden.

Burt must think the same thing because the next thing he says is, "Both of you are welcome here anytime. Now, anyone hungry?"

All three of them nod enthusiastically, which elicits a good-natured chuckle from Burt. "Come on down, then," he says. "Dinner is ready."

After Carole and Blaine have been introduced, they all head to the living room where they barely all fit around the table. They make it work somehow, Kurt sitting between Finn, who's already happily munching away, and Blaine, who, naturally, is waiting for everyone to start eating before taking some for himself.

"It's clear as day that you and Quinn were raised together," Carole comments, smirking at Blaine and giving her own son a light shove. Finn is so busy eating he doesn't even bother looking offended in the slightest.

"Tastes good, mom," is all he says.

"Manners are so hard to come by these days," Kurt says with an exaggerated sigh and starts serving everyone food.

"Pah, you love me," Finn says between bites.

"I do," Kurt replies. "But I'll deny that we're family in public."

"You're rude."

"You're gross."

It goes back and forth for a bit until Burt's chuckling so hard he can't keep the food on his fork. Kurt and Finn quit teasing each other and the conversation soon shifts to Glee club assignments. Since he has never really talked to either Quinn or Blaine about their shared hobby, he is learning something new with each comment they make, for example Quinn's love for cheesy duets and Blaine's slightly pathetic obsession with P!nk and Katy Perry. He tells him as much, causing Quinn to laugh hysterically and Blaine to pout like a kicked puppy.

"I was going to sing _Last Friday Night_ next week in Glee club," Blaine says.

"Dude, I love that song," Finn agrees.

"Blaine, you're good, but there's nobody who will change my mind about Katy Perry songs," Kurt says.

Blaine turns to look at him solemnly. "Challenge accepted."

* * *

Burt comes up to his room later in the middle of Kurt's moisturizing routine.

"Kurt, can I talk to you?" he says, already closing the door behind him.

Kurt eyes him suspiciously. "What is this about?" he asks.

 _Please don't be another sex talk. Please._

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm proud of how you are handling this thing with Quinn living here. You two seem to get along quite nicely."

Oh. Well, then. "I like her," Kurt says. "She's really cool once you get to know her."

 _Though it certainly is very hard to keep her secret in the whole baby department_ , he adds in his mind.

"I'm glad to hear that," his father says. "Her brother seems nice, too."

"He is."

Burt squints. Kurt knows he is trying to figure out if there is something going on between them but he won't give him the satisfaction of jumping right to the case. His father can figure this out all on his own if he thinks he has to. Plus, there is absolutely nothing to hide. Blaine is just someone he knows from school and came over to see his sister, that's all there is to it, isn't it?

"Are you two…?" Burt starts.

Kurt rolls his eyes. The confrontational way then. "No, dad."

Burt throws up his hands at Kurt's reaction. "Just asking."

Kurt continues to apply moisturizer to his cheeks and only turns back to his father when he hasn't left the room after a minute. "Good night, dad."

Burt laughs. "Alright, alright. Good night, buddy."

* * *

Kurt stands corrected. Blaine does make Katy Perry work. Everybody gets up to dance to _Last Friday Night_ , even Rachel, who obviously puts up a bit of a fight initially. Kurt is already thinking about taking bets how long it will take Rachel to fall under Blaine's spell as soon as rehearsals for the musical start. Who knows, maybe this whole NYADA competition drama will vanish into thin air.

They drop back into their chairs, Blaine taking a seat right next to Kurt and looking at him expectantly.

Kurt is aware of Rachel's eyes on him but he can't bring himself to care much when Blaine is smirking at him like that.

"Okay, you won," he confesses to Blaine. "That was surprisingly good for something as… uncultured as a Katy Perry song."

Quinn cackles and comments, "You should hear him sing _Teenage Dream_. I swear it has turned people."

Kurt scoffs playfully but he feels his lips twitch in an attempt to smile, especially when Blaine throws him a wink and sits back down next to Quinn, giving her a little fist bump that is entirely too adorable to look as cool as they probably intended it to be.

Rachel leans close to Kurt's left ear as soon as Mr. Schue takes over again. "What was that about?" she asks, her voice clipped.

"I more or less challenged him to make me like a Katy Perry song," Kurt answers truthfully.

Rachel huffs. "If that is your idea of scaring the competition off, it backfired," she says sarcastically.

"Not everything is about competition," Kurt snaps. He wants to add that Blaine is a perfectly likeable person but the boy in question is sitting too close for Kurt to feel comfortable doing so. From the look in Rachel's eyes, he can tell that she is onto him, anyway.

She doesn't speak to him for the rest of rehearsal and Kurt is starting to get really annoyed with her. After all, it's not his fault that she hates anyone who stands in her way of stardom. Sure, Kurt admires her ambition, but the road she chooses must be very lonely.

He doesn't, however, expect her to be ruthless enough to leave him behind as well.

Which is why he is not expecting her next move at all.

"Mr. Schue!" Rachel quips, her usual pretentious tone making most of the group roll their eyes at her. "I have news to share with everyone. Several people have already announced their lineup as potential senior class presidents and today, I want to tell everyone in this group that I will be running for president as well. As the star of this group, I want to encourage my fellow Glee clubbers to support me in the election."

A heavy silence settles over everyone. Kurt feels eyes flitting from Rachel to him. He stares ahead, not giving her the satisfaction of showing any weakness. But he can feel tears threatening to spill and if he has to sit next to his best friend – if she even is his best friend, how can she do this to him? – for much longer, he won't be able to keep them in anymore.

He gets up as soon as class is dismissed and heads straight to his locker, ready to get his homework and drive home immediately. But Rachel is a bit faster than him. She stops next to his locker.

"Kurt," she says, formal as if she is about to speak in the White House. "We need to talk."

"Do we, Rachel?" Kurt snarls.

"I have the same right as you do to run for senior class president and just because we're friends-"

"But you didn't do it because you wanted to!" Kurt yells, causing several students in the hallway to do a double-take. "You did it out of spite, Rachel, and because nobody is more important to you than yourself." He gets right up in her face and hisses, "I'm done being your henchman. I have a life of my own."

Rachel almost looks hurt. Kurt turns on his heel before he can regret his words.

When he reaches his car, he sees Blaine leaning against it. He sighs to himself, wondering if he is ever going to get home so he can bawl his eyes out in peace.

"Are you okay?" Blaine asks him.

Kurt nods. Then frowns. And shakes his head.

"What's going on?" Blaine probes.

Kurt can't possibly explain the situation without revealing the whole NYADA audition shebang. He debates the pros and cons in his mind for a minute and then decides that Rachel was the one who had the problem with Blaine auditioning, Rachel wanted to manipulate Blaine's chances and improve their own, and Rachel was the one who was against interacting with Blaine at all.

So Kurt spills.

And Blaine listens.

When Kurt is done talking, Blaine seems to be confused.

"So… the problem is that we all want the same thing?" he tries to clarify.

Kurt nods again.

Blaine furrows his eyebrows. "But… you two wanted the same thing before I came along. Why wasn't that a problem?"

Huh. Why wasn't it?

"I don't know," he answers.

And pauses.

Because – doesn't he know? There is this little voice in his head, that voice that stays quiet all the times that Rachel makes plans for when they are fabulously famous and only pipes in situations like these when Rachel hogs the spotlight and doesn't share. The little evil voice that says, _Rachel doesn't see you as competition, Kurt. She could drop you right this instant and never look back. You'll only ever be the supporting role to her leading lady._

It sounds awful even in his head. Kurt cringes.

"Probably because you weren't our friend. It's easy to make someone into an enemy if you don't know them well," he says instead.

"We could all get in, though," Blaine says. "I know Rachel has a phenomenal voice. And I heard you at your audition – you have the most impressive vocal range I've ever heard. The chances are the same for all of us."

"Except for the extracurriculars," Kurt counters, "Rachel and you are the leads in our musical, you are cheerleading captain and whoever wins this damn election, it's probably not going to be me."

Blaine looks as if all the puzzle pieces just fell into place.

"Oh," he says. "Oh, Kurt, I'm so sorry." He opens his mouth a few times to speak and then rearranges his words. "That… that was why you were so upset when you didn't get Tony, wasn't it? That was the week Brittany and I decided to run for senior class president, too."

Kurt looks at his hands. "And you were made co-captain of the Cheerios before I even had a chance to throw in my name," he adds. "I'm sorry, too. It's not that I think you don't deserve it, it's just that there aren't enough leadership roles for everyone and if I don't have anything to add to my application, my chances of getting into NYADA are going to be slim."

"Kurt," Blaine says, and damn him, he has a way of softly curling the 'r' sound in his name that makes it sound so… intimate. "You can still put Glee club and Cheerios and the musical on your résumé. Just because you're not the lead or the captain or whatever, doesn't mean your contributions aren't important. Besides, ultimately, it's going to be the audition that counts. We can practice together if you want to. They'd be crazy not to let you in."

Kurt sees Rachel leave the building out of the corner of his eye.

"Do you want to get coffee?" he suddenly finds himself asking.

Surprised, Blaine blinks a few times before nodding. "Sure," he says.

They both get into Kurt's car, Kurt steering them out of the parking lot as quickly as he can without driving past Rachel.

Blaine seems amused. "Did you just take a detour to avoid Rachel?"

Kurt snorts. "If you were friends with her, you'd understand."

"Why _are_ you friends with her?" Blaine asks.

"It's… complicated. She isn't a bad person." Kurt starts tapping his fingers on the wheel when they stop at a red light, trying to articulate his feelings so that Blaine will understand. "She gets intense, especially when she wants something as badly as she wants to make it on Broadway. I know she cares about me. She rarely does care for anyone else but herself but once she becomes your friend, she stands up for you whatever the cost."

"Unless you're in her way?" Blaine guesses.

Kurt shrugs. "She'll come around eventually. At least she usually does. Mercedes and Rachel have an annual diva-off, you know, like the one earlier this week when they fought over the musical lead. I've learned to ignore it as long as it doesn't involve me. Of course, this time, it's personal."

"Have you been friends for a long time?"

"No," Kurt says with a chuckle. "We hated each other with a passion. We, uh… both had a crush on Finn."

"… what?!" Blaine gasps.

Kurt smirks. "Yeah, it seems incredible now, doesn't it? Our current living arrangement would have been so awkward," he muses. "Anyway, Rachel helped me through a lot of stuff my junior year. I was bullied, which is something she thankfully has zero tolerance for, and she decided to take me under her wings. We somehow became best friends along the way. Well, and-"

"Take a turn to the left here," Blaine interrupts. "Sorry, didn't mean to cut you off but it's a shortcut."

"No, it's fine," Kurt says. "Let's talk about you now. I don't really feel like talking about my problems anymore."

Blaine leans back in his seat and throws out his arms in an I-am-an-open-book gesture. "Okay," he says. "What do you want to know?"

"For starters, how did you become co-captain of the Cheerios?"

Blaine laughs. "Peculiar choice for a first question but I'll roll with it," he says. "Well… Coach Sylvester got word that Quinn was pregnant and she almost threw her off the team. Quinn came to me for help and we managed to convince Coach that having us be co-captains might be a wise choice, considering nobody had the leadership skills Quinn possessed – she is going to train me as captain before the pregnancy will become too much for her. And… well, I guess Coach still isn't too happy with Quinn being pregnant but at least she didn't kick her out."

Kurt feels so ashamed all of a sudden. All this time he had thought that Blaine had done it for himself. He even somehow managed to believe that Blaine became captain to tamper with Kurt's NYADA chances, even though, all this time, Blaine hadn't even been aware of Kurt's plan to get into the same school as him.

"I didn't know that," he says truthfully. "It's really nice of you to stick up for her like that."

Blaine shakes his head. "It's what siblings do, isn't it?" Kurt feels a little sting when he thinks of Kurt and the secret that he's keeping from him. He shakes himself out of it quickly and continues to listen to Blaine's explanation. "It's not like I've never wanted to become captain. I know Santana has been calling me an 'attention whore'… maybe she's right. I do love the spotlight."

"That's not the same!" Kurt protests. "Jeez, how can you be so nice about everything? You're not mad at me or Rachel for treating you like an enemy, you're not mad at Santana for calling you names…"

"For the record, I _am_ mad at Rachel," Blaine says, "for treating you the way she did earlier. And because I know she has been messing with Quinn, too. But Santana changes her opinions, like, every other day. I really couldn't care less. And you haven't done anything bad, have you?"

"I think you should be a bit nicer to yourself, Blaine," Kurt tells him. "Santana might change her opinion about you but that doesn't make it okay for her to talk behind your back." He turns right onto the Lima Bean parking lot and continues, while looking for a good spot to park, "As for me… I did treat you unnecessarily harsh."

"It's okay, you apologized," Blaine says and shoulders his bag once they are parked.

Kurt smiles at him. "If you say so."

As soon as they buy their coffee – medium drip for Blaine, grande non-fat mocha for Kurt – and sit down at one of tables over the window, they do start talking about Blaine for real. Kurt learns that Blaine grew up in Westerville, that his parents separated because his father had an affair and that his mom married Quinn's father when Blaine was nine years old. His biological brother Cooper lived with them at first, too, but moved to LA for his acting career soon after. Blaine took up boxing at a young age because of bullies and was held back a year due to the apparently very heavy bullying aftermath – Blaine doesn't seem willing to talk about it much so Kurt doesn't push and instead files the information away for later. He also learns that Blaine hasn't been in Glee club because he spent most of his high school years getting extra credits to skip the grade he had lost and was finally able to make room for it once he got his senior year schedule sorted out.

They're in the middle of a passionate discussion of their favorite Broadway shows when Blaine glances at his phone and gasps, "Fuck, I'm supposed to pick up Quinn from her doctor's appointment! She's gonna be out in, like, ten minutes."

Kurt shrugs. "Relax, I'll drive you there, she lives at my place anyway. You could come home and join us for Friday night dinner, too. I can't imagine how lonely you must feel without Quinn at your place."

Blaine shrugs while he watches Kurt finish his coffee. "It's not the same, no," he says earnestly. "I haven't talked to my stepdad much ever since he threw Quinn out. He doesn't 'approve' of my lifestyle anyway." He makes air quotes. "I'm pretty sure my mom is going to divorce him, too."

They reach the car and Kurt lingers on Blaine's side of the car for a second. "I'm sorry, Blaine," he says.

"It sucks, really," Blaine says. "But Quinn and my mom are my real family and nobody can tell me otherwise. I don't care about a father figure. I'm just sad for my mom."

Blaine gives Kurt directions, all the while texting Quinn that he'll be a bit late, which is why their drive is almost silent.

Quinn raises an eyebrow when Kurt stops the car right in front of her.

"Hi, boys," she says when she gets into the backseat. "I wasn't expecting you to pick me up, Kurt."

"It sort of… happened," Kurt says, hoping that neither Blaine nor Quinn notice his blush, but when he looks back up he sees that they are having some sort of silent conversation consisting of raises eyebrows (Quinn), a shrug and a sheepish grin (Blaine) and an amused smirk (Quinn again). He decides not to comment.

"Well, thanks anyway," Quinn addresses Kurt and he tells her it's fine.

"How did the appointment go?" Blaine asks.

Quinn's eyes turn a bit glassy. "It's a girl," she breathes out. "I'm going to have a baby girl."

* * *

Everyone at the Hummel-Hudson household is excited about Quinn's news and Kurt barely manages to swallow around the lump in his throat when Finn hugs Quinn to his chest and promises to take care of "their girl".

Blaine catches Kurt's grimace and mouths "You ok?". Kurt nods quickly, perhaps a bit too quickly, because he has a feeling Blaine keeps frowning even when Kurt looks away and focuses on helping Carole with dinner.

After dinner, Burt suggests they all watch a movie together. Finn and Quinn decline the offer, both claiming to be really tired, and Carole nods understandingly. She turns to Kurt and Blaine. "What about the two of you?" she asks.

Kurt has to bite his cheeks so he doesn't show his reaction to the phrasing – as if somehow Blaine and Kurt belong together. He suppresses a groan. He is getting _so_ ahead of himself. If he isn't careful, this might become another crush gone horribly wrong. Sure, Blaine is good looking and talented and super nice, but that doesn't have to _mean_ anything, does it?

"I'll need to call my mom and ask her if she can pick me up later," Blaine says hesitantly.

"Don't worry, I'll drive you home," Kurt rushes to say.

Blaine smiles brightly. "Thanks, I'll text her that I'll be home late. I guess she won't mind on a Friday night."

Kurt catches Burt and Carole exchanging a meaningful look and manages not to roll his eyes so that Blaine won't catch on as well. He just hopes they won't be too embarrassing during the movie. He doesn't even know if Blaine is his _friend_ yet, and his dad is probably assuming god knows what.

They decide on watching _Notting Hill_ when Carole confesses she has never seen it. Carole likes to sit on the armchair so Kurt gets comfortable between his father to his left and Blaine to his right… yeah, he'll just pretend it's not awkward at all to sit between his father and the guy his fatherseems to think he's dating. Thankfully, Burt seems to know when not to embarrass his son just as much as he knows when to embarrass him.

Carole, not having seen the movie, makes for some hilarious commentary on the side, urging the characters on screen to get a grip and clapping her hands together happily when Anna and William finally get together in the end. She also downs about three and a half glasses of wine, which somehow only adds to the overall quality of the entertainment.

When the time comes to drive Blaine home, Kurt gets him his coat and helps him shrug it on. Carole nudges Burt. "You raised a gentleman, I see," she giggles, clearly tipsy.

Kurt would roll his eyes at her if Blaine wasn't biting his cheek with an ill-concealed smile that didn't make Kurt feel so… content. He watches as Blaine bids Burt and Carole goodbye and thanks them for the nice evening.

When they reach the car parked in the driveway, a voice calls after them, "Blaine! Kurt!"

They turn around to see Quinn sitting on Finn's windowsill with her legs resting on the roof of the house.

"Quinn!" Blaine says in surprise. "What are you doing?"

She shrugs. "Watching the stars calms me down."

"Why do you need to calm down?" Kurt asks.

"I- she was kicking." Quinn points to her little baby bump. "I think I had a panic attack. She felt how scared I was."

Blaine looks at his sister worriedly. "Do you need to see a doctor?"

"No, it's fine," Quinn assures him. "I just had this feeling… like everything was going to fall apart. It's better now."

"Where's Finn?" Kurt asks, wondering if there had been a fight.

"Sleeping," Quinn says and peeks back into the room, probably to make sure that that's still the case.

Kurt raises an eyebrow. "He slept through your panic attack?"

"I didn't want to wake him." Quinn says. "And it wasn't… Finn didn't need to be involved. I just… got a text from Puck that brought up some bad thoughts."

Blaine tenses a bit next to him, glancing at Kurt for a second, before looking back up to the window. "Are you sure you're alright? I can stay with you for a while, if you need me to."

"I'm fine, don't worry," Quinn says. "Go home, you'll need your beauty sleep," she adds, sticking her tongue out at her brother.

Blaine doesn't seem entirely convinced but when Quinn swings her legs back inside and tells him she is going to sleep as well, he sighs and gets into Kurt's car.

Blaine's expression stays solemn for a while and Kurt shoots him some worried glances every time they hit a red light. Blaine's jaw is set and his hands are drawing patterns on his jeans so furiously that Kurt decides to stop the car at the side of the road somewhere in the middle of Lima, halfway to Blaine's house.

"Blaine, what's wrong?" Kurt asks.

Blaine doesn't look at him.

"Blaine, come on," Kurt tries again. "Is this about Quinn? Or did I do something wrong because I'm not sure I'm follo-"

"You know, don't you?" Blaine interrupts. The tone in his voice tells Kurt that, just like himself, Blaine doesn't want to spill a secret that isn't his to tell.

Kurt bites his lip. Somehow, he just assumed that Quinn told Blaine about their confrontation the other day, but now it seems like she kept quiet about it.

"Yes, I know," he says truthfully.

"Did Quinn tell you?" Blaine asks.

Kurt considers lying. But what good is lying about knowing someone's lie? When does the lying stop? And why would he protect Rachel when she doesn't do the same for him? So he goes for the truth. "Puck told Rachel," he says. "And-"

"And she told you," Blaine concludes for him. He sounds a bit angry. Kurt feels torn between being glad Blaine apparently _does_ know how to be angry when he feels wronged and sticking up for Rachel even when they are technically not on speaking terms. Instead, he just nods.

"Have _you_ told anyone?" Blaine continues with narrowed eyes.

Whoa, is Blaine accusing him now? Kurt feels a bit irritated.

"What are you implying?" he asks, and if his tone is clipped, he decides that that's entirely on Blaine.

"Nothing," Blaine says, not keeping his eyes off Kurt. "Just asking if you told anyone."

He's not sure if it's Blaine's expectant attitude or Kurt's sudden need to jump to Finn's defense – but something in Kurt snaps and makes him breathe heavier.

"You mean, have I told the only person who should have a right to know his girlfriend's baby is not actually his?" he retorts with a sarcastic, hollow laugh.

"It's not like the question doesn't come to mind," Blaine snaps back.

"Have you noticed that Finn and Quinn are still together?" Kurt sneers icily, and while he instantly knows that they're both taking this a step too far, he can't make himself stop. "Whoever you think I am, I actually didn't spill your sister's dirty little secret."

"You don't know the first thing about my sister," Blaine spits.

"I know that she doesn't intend to clue my brother in on the fact that she has been sleeping with his best friend behind his back anytime soon."

Blaine stares him down, his nostrils fluttering angrily.

"You know what, on second thought, I'll walk home," he finally says, getting out of the car without so much as looking at Kurt again.

At first, Kurt feels relieved that Blaine gets out of his car, out of his sight. Because he's still angry enough to bite back.

But then he feels empty.

Kurt stares into space for a few minutes, wishing the night could just swallow him up and never spit him out again.

 _What just happened?_

One minute, they were perfectly fine and the next, they were hissing at each other like cats protecting their offspring. Or, well… siblings.

And hasn't he had enough fights for one day? First Rachel, now this… he could really use more friends instead of enemies.

Kurt shakes himself out of his thoughts. Quinn's and Blaine's parents live all the way across town and it is late. And Blaine is nowhere to be seen.

He starts the car and follows the route he would take if he was walking the way to Blaine's house.

Thankfully, Blaine hasn't made it far yet. Kurt can tell by his walk that Blaine must be still tense so he approaches him cautiously, slowing the car down and opening the window on the passenger's side when he is close to the other boy.

"Blaine!" he calls out.

Blaine sighs and turns to Kurt. "What?" He sounds exhausted.

"We can talk about this calmly," Kurt says. "I know we can. But please, come back into the car, or I'll have to drive you home like this and it'll take five times as long."

Blaine isn't stubborn enough to fight him. He gets into the car and puts on the seatbelt, closing his eyes and resting his head on the seat. Kurt waits for him to come back to earth, cautious not to speak too soon and upset Blaine again.

"Look, I haven't told anyone, okay?" Kurt says after a while.

"I couldn't hold it against you even if you did," Blaine admits. "At least not when it comes to your brother."

"It is not my place to tell," Kurt says simply.

"Quinn isn't a bad person," Blaine says and his face turns so sad Kurt wants to swoop him up in his arms and hold him.

Instead, he just assures Blaine, "I never said she was."

"You did call it her 'dirty little secret'."

Kurt sighs. "Everyone has secrets, Blaine. Some are worse than others, sure, but they're kept secret for a reason. I know Quinn has her reasons for what she's doing. I talked to her – kind of had a fight with her, actually, the day after she came to stay with us. I almost told Finn. But… I shouldn't be the one to break it to him. It just isn't right."

"Won't he be mad at you if the truth comes out?" Blaine asks hesitantly. He seems to be just as scared as Kurt that they end up fighting again. So… bad communication skills on both sides. Good to know.

"Sure he will," Kurt says. "How do you think you would feel if everyone and their mother knew that you're not actually becoming a father?"

"Biological father," Blaine says. "He could still be the baby's dad."

Kurt has to admit that this hadn't crossed his mind before. He stays silent.

"I know what you mean, though," Blaine continues. "And I understand that it is hard for you to watch him deal with this unknowingly."

"I…," Kurt starts, closing his eyes briefly and taking a deep breath. "I catch him crying sometimes. He doesn't when Quinn is around so I know he's trying to play tough. And I just wish I could make it easier for him."

Blaine nods, biting his lip. "I'll talk to her," he says after a while.

"Blaine." Kurt turns to him. "I wasn't trying to-"

"No, I know. I know that's not what you were implying. I can't promise you that she is going to come out with the truth anytime soon, but, as much as she loves Finn, I know that Quinn has feelings for Puck, too. The only reason she hasn't given him a chance is because she's trying to gauge if he is father material or not."

"Finn isn't exactly happy with her either," Kurt admits. "I think he secretly still likes Rachel."

Blaine giggles despite the situation. "Our siblings are messed up."

Kurt smiles. "And we aren't?"

"Huh." Blaine pretends to think really hard. "We're probably just lucky we can't get anyone pregnant."

Kurt lets out a hearty laugh and pats Blaine on the knee before starting the car. "Come on, let's get you home, you idiot."

* * *

When Kurt gets back home and turns in for the night, he can feel his limbs settling into the mattress like heavy stones drowning in a stream.

The day he's had would probably leave anyone utterly exhausted but Kurt can't help thinking that he's taking all of this extra hard because he can't get all these bad feelings out of his system – the guilt over keeping Quinn's secret instead of telling Finn, the anxiety over having to accumulate all these great achievements before he can turn in his NYADA application feeling at least slightly positive about it, the sadness over Rachel walking all over him with her senior class president candidacy…

As much as he enjoyed some parts of the day, his mind won't stop shutting up about those wavering moments. He wishes he could just make it go away.

Groaning, he turns over onto his side.

At least he made two new friends in the process. Quinn is a sweetheart once she lets go of that fake persona she's created, and Blaine is… well, he's a sweetheart, too, and kind of amazing.

They made a pact earlier not to fight over their siblings anymore because they shouldn't ever be in the way of their friendship. Their established ground rules include asking about the latest developments and sharing concerns but forbid them from getting deeper into the issues if they might lead to bad blood.

Kurt smiles to himself as he thinks of the way Blaine looked over at him before getting out of the car, a bit sheepish but overall quite content.

"Sorry for making you fight with a friend _again_ today," he had mumbled shly.

"I guess we both were a little out of line there," Kurt had relented. "And I'm sorry, too."

"Anyway, before that happened, I… uh," Blaine had cut himself off and bites his lip, "I had a really fun night."

Even in the safety of his own bedroom, Kurt actively keeps himself from reading too much into it. Blaine had called him a "friend" and they had a nice, friendly evening together – he draws the line there.

It doesn't stop him from dreaming about Blaine and when he wakes up a little happier than on other days, he figures it's probably because he finally got a break from all the nightmares.

* * *

Kurt spends the next week trying to avoid Rachel even though almost all of his activities in school not only include her, but put her on display right in front of him. He tries not to scowl at her during Glee club when she gets an important competition solo and he tries not to strangle her when she acts like the biggest star on Broadway as soon as West Side Story rehearsals start. She also campaigns for senior class president at every chance she gets, telling people to "vote for Rachel Berry" in her signature sing-song voice while plastering the McKinley walls with posters of a headshot of herself surrounded by little stars, half of which Santana has already defaced with hideous moustaches. Santana tells Kurt to grow some balls when he asks her to cut it out already.

On the upside, he gets to spend a lot more time with Blaine than with her. As cheerleading captain, Blaine can pretty much give the group orders to his own liking and Kurt doesn't think it is his imagination that he gets paired with Blaine in one-on-one practice more often than not. He starts occupying the seat next to Kurt in Glee club where Rachel used to sit, both of them ignoring Rachel's glowering looks. And they get coffee together after rehearsals for the musical.

Mercedes and Tina corner Kurt to probe him concerning his relationship with Blaine at every chance they get but Kurt tells them the same thing over and over again – Blaine and he get along perfectly fine, but they aren't dating.

Well, okay, sometimes Kurt does catch himself thinking about Blaine as a little bit more than just a friend, like when he comes over to the Glee club table during lunch and asks if he can sit with them, addressing all of them technically, but looking at Kurt the entire time. And whenever Blaine comes over to visit Quinn, he always makes sure to stop by Kurt's room to talk to him, more often than not ending up spending at least another hour with Kurt, sometimes staying over for dinner, too.

But it's not like he's got a crush on Blaine. He does not.

Besides, he's got more important things to focus on, like the development in Finn's and Quinn's situation. At first, Kurt thinks nothing has changed, even though Blaine told him first thing during English the Monday after their fight that he has had a long, serious talk with her when they went shopping at the mall together. Blaine's prognosis: She doesn't seem too willing to let go of the safe space she has built in pretending that the baby is Finn's. Kurt thanks Blaine for trying, anyway.

But then, he starts noticing the small things, like Quinn mumbling something incomprehensible and looking disappointed in herself whenever Finn leaves the room. He also catches her talking to Puck in the hallway during lunch time once, keeping just enough space between the two of them to make it seem inconspicuous.

That's why one day, when he sees Rachel approaching Finn with a determined expression on her face, he sprints towards them and gasps, "Rachel! I need to talk to you _right now_!"

He pulls her away from a confused looking Finn and drags her into the nearest classroom.

"Jesus Fucking Christ, Rachel Berry," Kurt pants once they're out of plain sight.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rachel demands to know. "And just so you know, this doesn't mean we're on speaking terms."

Kurt rolls his eyes. "Give me a break, I wouldn't dare to talk to Your Highness if it wasn't an emergency."

"What emergency?"

"You almost told him," Kurt says and the look in her eyes tells him everything he needs to know.

"I wasn't-"

"Don't lie to me," Kurt says. "We might not be friends right now but I know you like clockwork, Rachel. You were _so_ close to telling Finn about Quinn and Puck."

"I don't understand how you can take her side in this," Rachel whines.

"It's not about picking sides, it's about giving people a chance to sort things out themselves."

"So you're just leaving him clueless."

Kurt squints. "I lie awake every night for hours, trying to think of a way to spare him the misery of finding out what most of his friends already know. But it's not my place to tell him, and besides, Quinn is going to come out with the truth sooner or later."

"How would you-"

"Blaine talked to her, Rachel," Kurt says. "She listens to him. Let her deal with this and tell Finn on her own terms. Please."

Rachel stays quiet.

"Please, Rachel."

"Fine," she mumbles. "I won't tell him."

Kurt hugs her briefly. "Thank you. I know this is hard for you." When he pulls back, Rachel is blinking back tears. "Rachel…"

"I love him," she says miserably, fiddling with her skirt. "I love him, and I miss you, Kurt. I miss my best friend."

Kurt readjusts the strap of his messenger bag on his shoulder, holding back the premature words of forgiveness he wants to utter but isn't ready for yet, at least not until she apologizes properly.

"I miss you, too" he says simply. "But that doesn't make anything right between us."

She nods, clearly wanting to say more but holding back as well.

"Kurt?" she calls out before leaving the room.

"Yes?"

She taps her fingernails against the doorframe and hesitates for a moment before saying, "Maybe I was wrong about Blaine."

And just like that, she's gone.

Kurt smiles. It's not much, but it's a start.


	3. Say That You'll Never Need It

_**A/N: My eternal gratitude to a-simple-rainbow who is making this whole story so much better by making me think about *everything* in great detail. You'd be reading utter nonsense if it wasn't for her. ;)**_

* * *

 **\- Say That You'll Never Never Never Never Need it -**

Kurt spends the afternoon fiddling with different campaign poster ideas on Photoshop. He ultimately decides on losing all color, liking the idea of a less flashy, classier black-and-white picture. But still, he isn't sure how it will compete with the other campaign posters. Maybe he should have just kept the posters Brittany printed for him.

He wishes Brittany hadn't given up being his campaign manager. Or that, at least, he could call some else for help.

Usually, his go-to emergency contact would be Rachel but, obviously, that is not an option. Mercedes is out of town with her parents. He doesn't really know if Tina is available but Kurt is fairly sure that last time he called her, he was interrupting something… special with Mike, and he's kind of afraid Tina won't have learned her lesson not to pick up the phone when she's clearly very busy.

With a groan, Kurt pushes himself out of his chair and picks up a towel from his cupboard. Maybe a shower will help clear his thoughts.

He is humming to himself and rinsing his hair when an idea strikes him – Blaine. Even with nobody around, Kurt blushes hot at the fact that he is taking a shower and thinking of Blaine. He should probably not make a habit of that. Though, purely aesthetically speaking-

Kurt turns off the shower before his mind can provide any unhelpful images. Very unhelpful images that may or may not have been making an appearance in one or two dreams lately. Ugh, what is wrong with him?

Once his mind is able to focus on the topic at hand again, Kurt thinks it over thoroughly. Blaine seemed to have a good eye for photography, at least from what Kurt gathered when they talked about different Vogue covers. Of course, Blaine is planning a candidacy as well, but their competition hasn't really stopped them from becoming friends so far, so why should it stop at this point? Plus, Blaine seems to have a knack for knowing exactly what people need, so running the campaign idea by him is probably Kurt's best lead right now.

Yes, texting Blaine is probably a good idea. Which brings him to his next problem: He doesn't even have Blaine's number.

Frustrated, he picks up his laptop and looks for "Blaine Anderson" on Facebook. It takes some time to sort out the various middle names but he finally finds him, Blaine Devon Anderson. And, before he can change his mind again, he clicks "add as friend".

His request is accepted only a few minutes later and soon enough, Kurt has a new message.

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: Hey there, friend._

 _Kurt Hummel: Are you free right now?_

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: Sure, what's up?_

 _Kurt Hummel: Can I send you the draft for my campaign poster?_

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: You want me, your competition, to give you advice on your campaign poster?_

 _Kurt Hummel: Don't be cheeky, I just need to know if it looks as classy as I think it does._

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: Send it over. :)_

 _Kurt Hummel: Thanks! (mckhs_ )_

Kurt distracts himself with checking his email while he nervously waits for Blaine to assess the picture.

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: … wow. I'm hanging that up on my wall._

 _Kurt Hummel: Shut up._

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: No, I mean it, it's very Vogue-ish!_

 _Kurt Hummel: And campaign material?_

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: Hm. I'd go with it if I were you. It suits your style._

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: But if we're being really honest, I'm not sure if the student body is classy enough to appreciate it._

 _Kurt Hummel: … ugh._

 _Kurt Hummel: Thanks for being honest, though._

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: Anytime!_

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: I think there is something that might cheer you up._

 _Kurt Hummel: What?_

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: Check Rachel's Facebook page._

Kurt does as he's told and sees that her latest post is from only ten minutes ago:

 _Dear McKinley High student body, I am hereby withdrawing from the senior class president election. I apologize to all my supporters and urge you all to vote for Kurt Hummel._

Kurt is floored for a second. Rachel must have hit her breaking point when he confronted her about Finn earlier that morning. He hits the like button before switching back to Blaine's message window.

 _Kurt Hummel: Wow._

 _Kurt Hummel: See, I told you she always comes around._

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: She actually was a lot nicer in rehearsal today, too._

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: My Tony might fall in love with her, after all._

 _Kurt Hummel: Ew, Blaine._

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: :D_

 _Kurt Hummel: You know, she did tell me that she might have been wrong about you._

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: I'm swooning._

 _Kurt Hummel: I know, right?_

 _Kurt Hummel: You know what… I don't actually have your phone number._

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: Is that you asking or…?_

 _Kurt Hummel: No, merely stating a fun fact._

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: Jerk._

 _Kurt Hummel: Not any closer to getting my number…_

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: Hey, you started! What makes you think I even want it?_

Kurt bites his lip, typing out his next words carefully and hovering over the enter key for a good minute.

 _Kurt Hummel: Oh, you want it._

Blaine takes a bit longer to answer than he did for his previous messages and Kurt is halfway through his apology when Blaine's response comes in.

 _Blaine Devon Anderson: Ha. Goes both ways._

Half a minute later, Kurt is saving Blaine's contact on his phone and he can't really resist doing a little happy dance on his bed.

* * *

He spends the weekend making use of the phone number he finally received (his favorite text from Blaine so far reads: _You're making me laugh so hard my mom just came to check on me. :D_ ) and rekindling his friendship with Rachel (also via text message for now, and not quite as exciting as texting Blaine, but still a big plus in his book).

Sunday night is spent in his bedroom, watching a movie with Quinn, Mercedes and Tina. Of course, Mercedes and Tina don't care in the slightest that Blaine's sister is right there when they start asking Kurt about Blaine again. He dismisses all of their assumptions and tells them firmly, "Blaine and I are just friends."

Quinn watches them amusedly for a while before putting in her two cents.

"Look what I just got from Blaine," she says, opening her messaging app and flipping the phone for the other three to see.

 _Is Kurt with you? – B_

 _Quinn, I know he's with you. You live with him. – B_

 _Tell him to text me back. :( - B_

 _You suck. – B_

Tina coos loudly and Mercedes just says, "Uh-uh, just friends my ass."

Kurt blushes to the roots of his hair while Quinn pats his knee.

"You have my blessing," she says, stroking her baby belly. "Just do me a favor and don't knock him up."

All three of them stare at her.

She shrugs. "Too soon?"

* * *

Rachel and Kurt haven't exactly gone back to talking but whenever he passes her locker in the hallway, she bites her cheek and shoots him a nervous smile to which he responds with a small wave.

He still feels a little hesitant to initiate any contact between the two of them because knowing Rachel, the whole thing might be swept under the carpet without a proper apology.

And he really did mean it when he said he wasn't going to be her henchman anymore.

So he ignores the urge to text her whenever he listens to a song and puts it on his list of potential audition songs. He ignores to pick up his phone and call her when he reads an article on vegan-friendly leather look-alike material in the newest Vogue edition.

He calls Blaine instead, figuring that even though neither of them is vegan, talking Vogue has already been established a shared hobby for both of them.

And maybe, just maybe, he kind of really wants to talk to Blaine.

He almost hangs up after three beeps, suddenly self-conscious about the whole thing, but it's too late and Blaine's cheery voice is already ringing through the speaker.

"Hi, Kurt," he says happily, "this is a nice break from texting."

Kurt blushes. "Well, I wanted to discuss fashion," he babbles inanely, "and I figured it would be easier to quote Vogue over the phone then to re-type everything."

"You don't actually need an excuse to call, you know," Blaine says, laughing. "I like talking to you."

"Good." Kurt smiles to himself. "Ready for this?"

"What issue are we tackling? Pregnancy clothes again?"

"No, actually-"

"See, I was starting to worry I'd have to break the news to you that you can't actually get a baby yourself."

"Oh, shush," Kurt says. "I can get one of those fake bellies, I know someone."

"What?!"

"Long story." Kurt grins at the ceiling while lying down on his bed. "Anyway, I found this vegan clothing article and I just need a second opinion on this."

He sends Blaine a link to the online article. While Blaine is reading, Kurt takes pictures of the images in the print article with his mobile phone and shares them in a private message on Facebook.

"I love how they're making an effort to be more eco-friendly and respectful of animals' lives," Blaine says after a while, "but the samples you just sent me on Facebook are really ugly and I'm sad for any vegan fashionista who is limited to those outfits."

Kurt giggles. "I was thinking the same thing!" he exclaims, happily wiggling his feet on the bed while searching the internet for pictures of vegan boots. "But those are just the selected pictures for the Vogue article, I found some other fashion blogs that have more stuff."

"So…" Blaine starts, and there is some rustling on the line so he's probably shifting into a different position on his bed. "Am I correct in assuming that you saw this article, wanted to call Rachel, and ended up calling me instead?"

Kurt shoves his laptop away from him and turns onto his back. "Yeah," he admits, grimacing, "don't be mad, please."

"I'm not mad," Blaine murmurs gently. Kurt thinks he hears a hint of a smile. "I get it. You miss her but you want her to apologize in person."

"Exactly," Kurt breathes out. "I just hope it's going to happen at some point."

"She always comes around," Blaine answers. "Wasn't that what you said?"

"Yeah. It's never taken so long before, though."

"I'm sure she'll get there."

"Thanks for understanding," Kurt mumbles.

"Of course I understand, Kurt."

Kurt is silent for a while, not knowing how to respond. He listens to Blaine breathe and feels a little creepy. He's about to say something to make it less awkward when Blaine pipes up again.

"Do you want to keep discussing vegan clothing or should we finally address the elephant in the room?"

Kurt's eyes widen. So he's been admitting to himself that he might be kind of, really, well, _a lot_ attracted to Blaine, and his friends have certainly started teasing him about it more and more, but if Blaine is clued in as well, he might just start denying it all over again.

"… what?" he asks, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I'm going to beat you in the election on Thursday."

Oh. His rapid heartbeat slows down instantly and Kurt shakes his head at himself.

"Oh, yeah?" he challenges. "You're awfully confident for someone who's shorter than the microphone stand."

"Wow, Kurt, is that your way of intimidating the competition?" Blaine laughs. "Resorting to height jokes?"

"Oh, but what is this 'height' you speak of?"

"Ouch." There's a short pause. "Huh, well-"

"You can't think of a witty comeback, can you?" Kurt asks with a smirk.

"Ugh, I will eventually!" Blaine exclaims.

"Maybe," Kurt relents playfully, "but you know what you won't?"

Another pause.

"Grow?"

"Ding ding ding, we have a winner," Kurt teases.

He laughs hysterically as Blaine pretends to hang up on him for a good minute or so.

* * *

On Thursday, election day, Kurt wakes up to a text from Blaine.

 _Good luck today. – B_

Kurt smirks down at his phone, even if he can barely keep his eyes open yet.

 _Is that *your* way of intimidating the competition? – K_

 _No, better. I'm giving you a false sense of safety with my adorableness. – B_

 _All jokes aside, though, I like you too much to consider you my opponent. – B_

 _Think we could be co-presidents instead? – K_

 _(I like you too…) – K_

 _We'd make the world a better place. :) – B_

It's hard not smile like an idiot after that exchange, and it earns him some raised eyebrows from Quinn and Finn over breakfast. He shrugs it off with the excuse of having bought a scarf online for a reduced price. It's a white lie, really. He got that scarf two days ago.

Rachel comes to his locker bearing gifts – custom-made "Kurt Hummel" pins and a little note from her dads saying that they are proud of him for standing up for LGBT rights in his school. Kurt hesitates for a moment but then he moves in to hug her. Apology or not, it is a nice gesture.

"I've missed you," he says, squeezing her tightly.

"Kurt, I'm so sorry for everything," she mumbles into his neck.

Oh. He takes a deep breath, savoring the moment, glad that she has finally come to her senses.

"Thanks," he replies, a little choked up.

"You're going to be great up on that stage," she tells him once she pulls back.

"I really hope so."

"What about Blaine, though?"

"What about him?" Blaine's chipper voice pipes up from behind Rachel.

"How are you going to compete against each other without ruining your friendship?" Rachel clarifies.

Blaine throws an arm around Kurt's shoulders in the middle of the hallway – sending Kurt's mind into a wild frenzy over thoughts like _Oh god, did I put on deodorant today?_ and _Holy crap, Blaine has really nice hands that should be on my body 24/7_ – and flashes Rachel a broad grin.

"We made this deal," he says brightly. "The winner has to run around school naked for a whole day. That way, none of us will even want to win!"

Rachel eyes both of them suspiciously.

"For the love of god, Rachel, he's kidding!" Kurt exclaims incredulously, leaving Blaine to cackle like a hen. "You," he says pointing at Blaine, "too much coffee. You," he tells Rachel, "don't worry your pretty head over the two of us. We'll survive."

He does have a nagging feeling in his brain that he'll still be disappointed if Blaine wins the election but Blaine already promised to take him out for coffee after school no matter what, so he doesn't let it get to him.

* * *

The election is a disaster.

Kurt's speech is coherent enough, he thinks, and he doesn't mess up his words once. Blaine keeps nodding at the part about his zero-tolerance policy against bullying and he can hear some of his friends cheer for him.

Blaine's speech is just as good, a bit more formal in parts where Kurt went for vernacular language (he does not only need to win over McKinley's brightest, after all, because unlike Blaine, he doesn't have popularity to boost his support), but mostly, they campaign for the same things.

Brittany… well, she delivers a bunch of nonsense that has half of the student body laughing and the other half cheering in support.

Rick the Stick Nelson seems even less aware of what he is doing in that election than Brittany, so Kurt counts him out immediately. His only support group is the Hockey Team, anyway.

But that isn't what makes the day disastrous.

Kurt wins.

Yes, he wins. And gets called to the principal's office before he can even hug any of his friends in celebration.

Because, apparently, somebody rigged the elections, stuffing the ballots with endless papers with Kurt's name on it. Kurt swears he didn't do it but Figgins won't hear any of it.

He sits there listening to Figgins' mysterious phone calls with some official school board member and just closes his eyes when it gets too much. He wishes that he could just skip whatever consequences this is surely going to have but judging from Figgins' aggravated voice, that is not going to happen.

He runs into Blaine, Rachel and Finn who are pacing outside of the principal's office like a pack of wild animals.

"What the hell happened?" Finn wants to know as soon as Kurt steps outside.

"I am out of the race," Kurt says numbly.

"What?!" Blaine asks at the same time as Finn says, "But you won."

Kurt shakes his head. "No, I didn't. Somebody stuffed the ballot."

Blaine is the first to break the heavy silence. "Stuffed the- who would even do that?"

Kurt shrugs. "Does it matter?" he asks bitterly. "They think it was me. Makes sense, I guess."

"But you didn't do it?" Finn tries to clarify.

"No, Finn," Kurt snaps. "Do I look like an idiot? Anyone with half a brain would know better to do something _that_ obvious."

"Are you being punished?" Rachel whispers. Her tone is lacking the usual drama and is, instead, filled with actual concern.

"I've got a week-long suspension unless someone else owns up to it." He laughs hollowly. "Which I'm sure someone will be brave enough to do," he adds sarcastically.

His friends stay silent. Kurt sighs. "Let's go," he says dejectedly. "They're still going to announce the actual winner, we should go watch."

Rachel lets out a frustrated noise and Kurt suddenly notices her head looks like it's about to explode.

"It was me!" she cries out. "I'm so sorry, Kurt, I thought if you won, you'd finally have something for yourself and we could forget about this whole thing!"

Kurt looks at her in stunned silence.

"Say something," Rachel pleads meekly.

"You just made me lose the election, Rachel," Kurt says, not able to keep the aggravation out of his voice. "What else am I supposed to say?"

Rachel looks like she is about to cry but then, she shakes herself out of it all of a sudden, balling her fists and straightening her back. "I'm going to take the fall," she says.

"Rachel, I- what?" Kurt manages to get out but before he can finish whatever question he was going to ask, she is already storming past him into the principal's office, shushing the secretary and just marching right up to Figgins' desk with determined steps.

"Oh god, what is she doing?" Finn asks.

"Setting things right," Blaine says. "Coming around, just like you said she would, Kurt."

"She also said she was going to take the fall as if she was selflessly sacrificing herself." Kurt refrains from rolling his eyes and leans against the wall with a tired sigh. "I just wish she would think about her actions before carrying them out."

* * *

Figgins lets Kurt off the hook and suspends Rachel instead but his name is still officially withdrawn from the list of candidates for senior class president, as Rachel tells him ruefully when they head back to the gym. Their former seats have been taken by some other students so they sit down in the back row.

Blaine gets called back onto stage to take his seat next to Brittany and Rick.

"Students of McKinley High," Figgins addresses the audience. "Kurt Hummel has been banned from competing for the title of senior class president."

"Kurt, I'm so sorry-" Rachel says for the twentieth time and Kurt just slaps a hand over her mouth.

"Shush, I want to listen," he says.

"But-"

"You can apologize all you want later," he promises.

She nods and turns her head back to the stage, on which Figgins is currently drawing a namecard out of a second envelope. Kurt bitterly thinks back to how happy he was when the name that was pulled out of the first envelope was his.

"Your new senior class president is…" Figgins says, "Blaine Anderson."

Kurt feels a little pang in his chest when Blaine goes up to the microphone, but mostly, he finds himself clapping happily for his friend.

However, instead of accepting his title, Blaine says, "Thank you all, but I am officially withdrawing from the position as senior class president as well."

Kurt grasps both Rachel's and Finn's hand tightly. "What the hell does he think he's doing?" he hisses.

"Dude, don't break my hand," Finn says, trying to get out of Kurt's death grip.

"Whatever he's doing, it's incredibly romantic," Rachel sighs.

"You're ridiculous," Kurt tells her. A few weeks ago, she was trying to pit Kurt against Blaine and now she's calling him romantic. Leave it to her to blow things right out of proportion.

Finn leans in to whisper into Kurt's ear, "Is it really romantic to do something like that?"

Kurt groans quietly. "No, that's just Rachel being dramatic."

Finn looks like that doesn't answer his question. It does, however, answer Kurt's questions about the state of his brother's feelings for Rachel. Kurt glances down to one of the front rows where Quinn is sitting with Santana and Brittany, typing away on her phone, only putting it away when Blaine walks by to pat him on the butt and laugh when he sticks out his tongue at her.

Blaine makes his way back to where Kurt, Rachel and Finn are seated, while Figgins tries to deal with the situation the best he can.

"Dear students," he speaks into the microphone, "we only have two candidates left and they both have the same amount of votes. How should we proceed?"

"Fight each other like in the Hunger Games," Brittany quips, apparently not realizing that she is literally volunteering to either kill or be killed by Rick the Stick.

"Make them co-presidents!" Blaine hollers from where he has just reached Kurt and the others, and Figgins perks up immediately.

"Good plan," he says happily, and officially gives the title of senior class president to both Rick and Brittany.

Kurt hits Blaine in the arm as soon as he is within reach.

"Ouch," Blaine says, pouting. "Everyone is hitting me, what did I do?"

"What on earth was that, Blaine?" Kurt asks.

"I figured if you were out of the race for reasons you didn't have control over, it wouldn't have been a fair fight if I just won the election like that." It's charming, really, but Kurt can also detect a hint of frustration over something, especially when Blaine moves a slightly frantic hand to his head to smooth his hair even though not a single strand is out of place. "Honestly, I sometimes feel like things just get handed to me."

Kurt doesn't know what to say to that so he just stares at his friend in wonder.

"You're not mad, are you…?" Blaine suddenly asks, voice sounding a little smaller than before.

"Mad at you?" Kurt asks, stupefied by the implication. "Why would I be mad?"

Blaine just shrugs.

"I'm not mad," Kurt says softly. "Blaine, I'm… touched, I guess? Surprised. And… thankful." _And totally falling for you, so hard._ "Nobody has ever done something like that for me. So… thank you, Blaine."

The smile Kurt gets in return could probably light up a whole town.

It's so bright that Kurt can't even be bothered to mind the fact that instead of him, or Blaine, or even Rachel, the whole senior class will be represented by clueless Brittany and someone as barbarically stupid as Rick the Stick.

He doesn't even care that Finn leans in again to ask, "So, you _did_ think it was romantic?"

* * *

Later, when Blaine is walking Kurt to his car (because that's a thing Blaine does now, almost every day, and Kurt still can't really tell what it _means_ ), he can't help but let the events of the day crash over him.

But instead of panicking over having lost another thing on his list of achievements he needs for his NYADA application, and almost having been suspended, he finds himself smiling at the good parts of his day. Granted, the day was chaotic and stressful, but he still somehow ended up enjoying most of it.

And the main reason for that is currently walking alongside him, a content smile on his face.

He wants so badly to take Blaine's hand, or maybe kiss him senseless, and the thought that someone could weasel his way into his heart so unbelievably fast is still a bit scary to him, but he's done fighting the feeling. Hand-holding and kissing seems a bit much, Kurt decides, but he has to do _something_.

He means to move in smoothly to hug Blaine, but he is so overwhelmed he ends up almost tackling him to the ground, Blaine letting out a surprised yelp and Kurt apologizing awkwardly when he steadies Blaine by the shoulders.

Once they've both regained their footing, Kurt finally pulls Blaine into the embrace he had attempted before and squeezes his eyes shut happily when he feels Blaine smile against Kurt's hairline.

"What's this for?" Blaine murmurs next to his ear.

Kurt pulls back reluctantly to look Blaine in the eyes.

"I'm having a hard time believing you're real," he says and if Finn was there, he'd teach him a thing or two about romance, because he feels almost embarrassed at how much that sounded like he pulled it straight out of a dime novel.

Actually, it's probably good Finn isn't there.

Because Kurt really doesn't want to share with the world how safe he feels in Blaine's arms.

* * *

Rachel's one-week suspension entails that she is technically banned from both competing at sectionals and appearing in the school musical but she negotiates with Figgins for so long that he finally gives in and lets her play Maria. After all, the musical is supposed to premiere only two weeks later, and, as Rachel tells everyone who wants to know (and everyone who doesn't want to know as well), it is too late for anyone to prepare for a role as demanding as Maria in that time.

Kurt can barely keep Mercedes from strangling Rachel.

Rehearsals go well, mostly, except for when Rachel and Santana find a reason to moan about each other or when Artie is being extra weird about certain things, which is why Kurt gets a series of very confusing text messages from Blaine one night after a Tony/Maria rehearsal that only Blaine and Rachel had to attend.

He hears his phone vibrate furiously with the arrival of several text messages while he is preparing his weekly fruit smoothie. Once he is seated at the kitchen table, the fresh drink in his, he unlocks his phone.

 _EEEWWWWW KURT I NEED HELP – B_

 _PLS TELL ARTIE HE'S INSANE – B_

 _CODE RED, YOU HEAR ME? – B_

Kurt frowns at the screen, not able to determine for sure whether Blaine is executing a practical joke or if he is serious about… whatever this is about.

 _Are you okay?! Is this a matter of life and death? – K_

 _Life is a good key word. Artie wants me to live. – B_

 _Blaine, I know you think you're making sense, but you're really not. – K_

 _He wants me to lose my virginity before opening night. – B_

Blaine's text arrives with great timing because Kurt has just taken a single sip from his fruit smoothie, which is now scattered all over the table.

He takes a moment to breathe. Blaine must be joking.

… _come again? – K_

Instead of getting another text message, Kurt's phone signals an incoming call. Kurt has just started dabbing the table with a damp cloth and quickly puts both the cloth and his drink (who knows what Blaine will spring on him next) on the kitchen counter before accepting the call.

"I am so creeped out," is the first thing Blaine says and, still having no context whatsoever, Kurt doesn't know whether to be amused or perturbed.

"Blaine, what the hell did Artie make you do in rehearsal?" Kurt asks.

"It's not what he made me do in rehearsal," Blaine says in a gravely voice, "it's what he wants me to do in my spare time."

"You're joking, right?" Kurt breathes out. "He didn't actually tell you to lose your virginity."

"Oh, but he did," Blaine says. "I told him he was crossing all kinds of boundaries, but he wouldn't listen. He said Rachel and I needed more experience to fully embody what Tony and Maria were going through."

"That's ridiculous," Kurt huffs. "You don't need to die in order to embody a dying character."

"Right?" Blaine exclaims. "And it's not like Rachel and I are going to have actual sex on stage."

"Okay, ewww. Thanks for forcing that image onto my brain."

"Gee, thanks."

"Please, that was _so_ not aimed at the 'you' part of the equation," Kurt says, realizing a little too late what his wording might imply.

"Thanks again?" Blaine asks, and sure enough, there's a tiny hint of amusement in his voice. Kurt presses a hand to his glowing cheek.

"I, uh, I just mean- that came out wrong. It's just… Rachel is a girl, and as you know, I'm not particularly into girls."

"Uh-uh."

"Blaine," Kurt whines.

"Kurt," Blaine replies, mimicking his tone.

"So what happened when you told him off?" Kurt asks quickly. He makes a mental note to improve his diversion tactics at the earliest convenience.

"He told us that sex is something you could expect your actors to know in and out."

Kurt bursts out laughing. "Please tell me you paraphrased that."

"Nope," Blaine says. "His words, not mine."

"Okay, so, what I'm gathering from this is that Artie wasn't impressed with your acting today and told you to improve it by getting the real deal first?"

"I guess," Blaine says.

"So what are you going to do instead?"

"Huh," Blaine says. "I haven't thought about it yet. I mean… I just figured I'd pretend. You know, act it out. Virginity be damned."

"I wish I had your confidence" Kurt sighs. "I'd be freaking out over not being authentic enough."

"You would?" Blaine asks, sounding contemplative.

"Yeah." Kurt draws invisible patterns on the kitchen table, waiting for Blaine to answer. After a full minute, he asks, "Blaine?"

"Do you think…?"

"What?"

"Do you think Artie is right?"

Kurt almost drops his phone. "What?!" he asks. "No!"

"But… sexual knowledge isn't something you can easily fake."

"What are you saying?"

"That maybe I do need tolose my virginity," Blaine says.

Kurt is so glad he left his smoothie on the kitchen counter. So glad.

"Blaine, he croaks, "don't you think you're overreacting?"

"Opening night is, like, a week away, Kurt."

"That's not the part you're overreacting at, Blaine," Kurt deadpans. "You're not actually serious about this, are you?"

Blaine makes a frustrated noise. "No," he mumbles. "Not really." There's a brief pause. "I mean, I don't even have anyone to have sex with."

No.

Kurt is not discussing potential sex partners with Blaine.

And he is most certainly not considering asking Blaine where he should sign up for the job.

Pun not intended, either.

God, he really needs to lie down.

"Blaine, the important question here is" he says, choosing his words carefully, "if you really want your first time to be a meaningless experiment."

Quiet breathing is all Kurt can hear for the better half of a minute. "Never," Blaine finally says. "I want it to be special and with someone I love and trust. Someone I can talk to and fall asleep with after."

Kurt bites his lip into a fond smile. "That sounds much better," he agrees.

Maybe he really should have asked where to sign up for it, though.

After a brief silence, Blaine's voice suddenly pops up again. "By the way, I wasn't _really_ considering it." It does not sound as convincing as he probably hopes it does.

Kurt giggles. "Sure, Blaine. Could have fooled me."

In the end, Artie almost risks suspension over his creepy idea because Rachel freaks out in front of Coach Beiste and Miss Pillsbury, who are just a tad too nice not to report Artie to the principal.

But to everyone's surprise, it's Santana who tears him a new one when she gets word of it. She corners him on stage with her signature death glare and spews out, "Listen closely, you fucking creep, if you ever tell anyone in this group what to do with their body again, I will personally make sure that they move your perverted ass to juvie, capiche? I mean, Berry I understand, you've got nothing to lose – nobody in their right mind would want to deflower that sad, pathetic mess anyway – but tiny cupcake over there?" She points to Blaine, who has sort of gone into hiding behind Kurt following the scene with wide eyes, probably never having witnessed one of Santana's longer rants before. "You don't think that if word gets out he's looking for someone to make a man out of him, all sorts of sketchy-ass perverts will be lining up on his doorstep left and right? So think about what you say before you open that disgusting mouth of yours or I will personally make sure that you'll never be able to speak again, are we clear?"

Artie looks more panicked than Kurt has ever seen him and is nodding like his life is depending on it.

"And while we're at it," Santana spits. "Stay away from Brittany."

Artie hasn't stopped nodding yet and seems to decide that it is better if he just continues doing it.

"Damn right," Santana mutters before strutting off the stage. "You're welcome, cupcake," she says in passing and it sounds almost affectionate. Kurt turns to Blaine in surprise, who just shrugs sheepishly at Kurt's unspoken question.

Leave it to Blaine to charm everyone at McKinley High, including someone as cold-hearted as Santana.

* * *

Half an hour before the show, half of the cast is standing on stage, nervously peeking through the curtains to spot their friends and family members in the audience.

"Look, my mom and Quinn are sitting over there, only two rows from your parents and Finn," Blaine says happily, trying to point Kurt in the right direction.

Kurt squints through the slit between the two curtains. "Ugh, I can't- oh, there they are. And… wow, that's your mom?! Blaine, she's gorgeous."

Blaine laughs. "Thanks, she'll be delighted if I tell her."

"Never mind, it was Figgins in a wig."

Blaine elbows him with another laugh. "Boo. That was uncalled for."

Kurt sticks out his tongue at him. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

Once Kurt gives up his spot at the curtain to let Rory peek through it, he bumps his hip against Blaine's. "Hey, what about your stepdad?" he prompts hesitantly.

"They are getting a divorce," Blaine tells him with a shrug.

"I'm sorry," Kurt says.

"Don't be," Blaine replies. "It's better for all of us. And that way, Quinn could move back in as soon as everything's settled."

"Is she doing okay? We haven't talked much, I've been so busy."

"I think so. Puck seems to be warming up to the whole parenting thing… but she still isn't comfortable with owning up to cheating. Sorry it's so complicated."

"I understand," Kurt says. "And it's not your fault, anyway."

Artie rolls onto the stage, urging them all to meet backstage for some last-minute warm-ups.

Kurt is already turning to follow the crowd, when Blaine's hand catches his wrist.

"Hey, Kurt," he says, biting his lip. "Um… I have these two tickets to a local production of Rent in Columbus on Tuesday next week and I was wondering if you would like to see it with me?"

"Rent?" Kurt's eyes start to sparkle. "Oh my god, yes, thank you!"

Blaine chuckles. "My pleasure."

Kurt begins to bounce up and down, thinking about how much fun it will be to drive to Columbus and back with Blaine and to see a musical in a big theatre and-

Oh.

"Wait, is this-" Kurt starts and regrets his decision immediately. It's way too awkward to ask something like that, isn't it? And what if Blaine says no? Kurt doesn't think he'd survive.

He glances at Blaine quickly. Is he blushing? Yes, Blaine might be blushing. But it's too dark for Kurt to determine for sure, damn these thick curtains.

He clears his throat. "Um, did you say Tuesday or Thursday?" he finishes lamely. _Coward_ , his traitorous mind is whispering.

"Uh, Tuesday," Blaine says. "Why?"

Kurt tries to think of something believable enough for Blaine to buy without further ado. "Um, I just promised my dad to help out in the garage on Thursday. But Tuesday works fine."

"Cool," is all Blaine says before they both get pulled into a show circle.

Kurt groans to himself. With all of these problems surrounding him lately, it really should be easier to determine if he has just been asked out on a date or not.


	4. A Room Where The Light Won't Find You

**\- There's a Room Where The Light Won't Find You -**

The show is amazing. Blaine and Rachel, having developed a tentative sort of friendship ever since the election debacle, have amazing chemistry together, Santana is a perfect Anita, and Kurt disappears fully in the role of Officer Krupke. The real breakout star of the show, however, at least for everyone involved, is Mike Chang, who plays Riff.

As soon as the show is over and parents are rushing backstage to congratulate their children, Kurt feels drunk off the excitement and rush of performing on stage. He is smiling happily next to Rachel who suddenly gets engulfed in a big hug from her dads, both holding ridiculously large bouquets of flowers.

"Dads," she shrieks excitedly. "Tell me, what was your favorite part?"

Both of her dads start blabbing at the same time, Rachel drinking every single one of her words in with a proud smile and an excited squeal every now and then.

Kurt and Blaine look from the very loud spectacle in front of them to each other, Blaine mouthing an overwhelmed "wow" in Kurt's direction.

They decide to go see where their own families are, Blaine steering Kurt away from the Berrys with a hand on his back. Which is the position they are in when they rush into Burt, Carole and Finn, and Kurt can't help but notice how quickly Blaine pulls his hand off Kurt's body at the sight of his father. One glance at Blaine tells him that whatever his feelings for Blaine might be exactly, they can't be completely unreturned. Blaine is blushing hard, twisting his hands in front of his belly with a flustered grimace.

The observation makes him so confident that, as soon as everyone is done congratulating them on their success with the show, he tells Burt and Carole, "Blaine is taking me to see Rent in Columbus next week!"

Kurt doesn't miss the way Blaine seems to be torn between preening and diverting the conversation and has to stifle a laugh when Blaine croaks, "So, Mr. Hummel, how did you like the second act?"

Before anyone can comment on the Columbus trip, Blaine is saved by his mother and his sister rushing in to hug and congratulate him.

"I'm so proud of you, Blainey," his mom tells him and Quinn puts her hands on her hips and pretends to be outraged. "You did not tell me that you were such a good actor, brother bear," she says. "Does Cooper know you are following in his footsteps?"

Kurt puts his hands on Quinn's shoulders, which she takes into her own, and hugs her from behind. "Brother bear?" he asks with a teasing smile.

Quinn laughs. "We used to love that movie when we were younger and the nickname kind of just… stuck."

"It fits him," Kurt decides. "Very… hairy."

That statement does not only make Blaine turn to him in horror and gasp, "Oh, you did not just insult my hair," but also makes his mom look at Kurt and say, "Well, well, well. You must be Kurt."

Oh god, does he have a reputation? What on earth has Blaine been telling his mother?

"Come here, let me hug you, sweetie!" she exclaims and pulls Kurt to her chest. "I'm Pamela."

"Pleasure," Kurt gets out even though one of his cheeks is currently placed very firmly on Pamela's bosom, making it hard to talk, and he doesn't really know how to make her let go of him.

"I've heard so much about you, I'm a little offended I haven't met you before today," she says, only hugging him tighter.

"Why don't we all get dinner together?" Carole suggests and apparently, that does the trick, because Pamela lets go of Kurt at once and turns to Carole with a huge beam on her face. She hugs Carole and introduces herself to Burt enthusiastically with the words, "You must be Kurt's dad! I'm Pamela Anderson, Blaine's mom! You have such a remarkably talented son!"

When Pam turns back to Carole and Finn, Kurt watches his dad mouth "Pamela Anderson?" in confusion and suppresses a giggle. Next to him, Blaine and Quinn are both facepalming and peeking through their fingers in horror. Well, Blaine looks horrified. Quinn seems more amused.

"I am so sorry," Blaine whispers. "She is very… affectionate."

"It explains so much about you," Kurt retorts, rubbing his cheek.

"Imagine how much time it took for me to get used to such a cuddly parent with a dad like mine," Quinn tells Kurt. Blaine leans his head against her shoulder and pouts. Quinn laughs and kisses Blaine's forehead. "Yeah, yeah, and a cuddly brother."

"You put Finn and me to shame," Kurt comments. He and Finn don't exactly cuddle much. Their actions are limited to somewhat deep talks over warm milk and some brotherly quarrels.

When their parents have been sufficiently showered by Pamela's praise – which takes an amazingly long time, almost longer than Rachel explaining to her dads what went right and what went wrong on stage in great detail – they all head out to continue their conversations over dinner.

* * *

Dinner at Breadstix turns into an afterparty because every cast member apparently decided to eat out with their parents and Lima does not actually have a large variety of restaurants to choose from. It doesn't take them long to actually convince their waiters to allow them to play some music and the corner of the restaurant becomes a dance floor within seconds. Kurt dances with Rachel and Mercedes for a while, every once in a while checking on his parents, who seem to be getting along splendidly with Pamela ("Yay, embarrassing parents unite," Mercedes comments with a smirk, pinching his cheek, and Kurt just swats her hand away).

At one point, Blaine joins them and dances with them for a while, all goofy gestures paired with suggestive dancing that make Kurt want to facepalm and join in at the same time. He is too aware of the adults' presence to do the latter but he does spike up his own dance moves just to show off a bit as well. He pretends not to preen too much at the impressed, or maybe even a bit flustered look he gets in response. After a while, when they're both sweating profusely and Rachel and Mercedes have long left the dance floor, Blaine leans close to Kurt and asks him if he wants to get some fresh air. Kurt nods and follows Blaine outside, walking through the little garden in front of the restaurant.

"I, uh," Blaine starts, "I just wanted to tell you that you were phenomenal on stage tonight."

Kurt flushes with pride. "Thank you," he says earnestly. "You were the perfect Tony. NYADA's teachers better prepare for their best student yet."

Blaine shakes his head. "Their best students," he says, stretching the "s" sound. "Plural, Kurt. You're going to get in, too."

Kurt huffs. "Sectionals is next week – no solo for me, of course – and NYADA applications are due the week after. I don't think I have enough impressive things to say about myself."

Blaine turns to face him and continues walking backwards.

"Nonsense," he says confidently, as if his faith in Kurt is enough for the two of them. "Don't give up hope, ever."

Kurt smiles at his ridiculous, wonderful friend. "Okay," he says, letting himself believe Blaine.

"So," Blaine says and lets the vowel linger, "you just had to tell your dad that I am going to take you to see Rent like I was asking for your hand in marriage, didn't you?"

Kurt doubles over with laughter. "Oh, Blaine!" he gasps. "You should have seen your face!"

Blaine huffs playfully. "You made it sound like…" He trails off and Kurt feels that same giddy confidence from earlier coming back to him.

"Like a date?" he asks coyly.

Blaine looks dumbstruck for a second, stopping in his tracks, his body still fully turned towards Kurt. "Yeah, exactly," he says.

Kurt's smile grows, taking a step towards Blaine even though Blaine has stopped walking. "And… isn't it a date?" he pushes on and he might have never gotten a chance to really flirt with someone in his life but with Blaine, it feels like he is a pro already.

"Kurt," Blaine says breathlessly. "Yes. I mean... that's what- that's what I had in mind."

"It's a date, then," Kurt says cheekily. He had no idea he had it in him but he is really enjoying the feeling of Blaine being putty in his hands.

"Well, then I'm looking forward to our date," Blaine replies, having apparently regained some control of himself, and tentatively reaches out to take Kurt's hand in his.

Kurt feels like he is going to die if something doesn't happen soon. "I really want to kiss you," he confesses, because he can, because they're friends, because Blaine wants to date him, because he's still high off performing, and because he might actually combust if Blaine continues to look at him with that intense gaze like he has been doing for the past two minutes.

Blaine's eyes widen. He moves in closer and strokes Kurt's neck with his free hand. "Isn't that a bit unconventional?" he murmurs, face so close that Kurt can smell his raspberry hair gel. "Kissing before the dating part has even started?"

Kurt chuckles lowly. "Wow, Blaine," he teases. "Where is your sense of adventure and rebellion?"

"No, you're right," Blaine gets out in a rush before he pulls Kurt in by his neck and lets their lips come together in a soft kiss. Kurt sighs into it contently, moving his hands up to Blaine's arms, squeezing them and pressing their faces closer. He feels Blaine inhale more than he hears him, the mere thought making him a bit dizzy. Blaine is still stroking his neck tenderly and moves his other hand to cup Kurt's jaw, trying to get even closer. In a rush of giddiness, Kurt opens his mouth a bit to cup Blaine's lower lip between his own and suck on it, causing Blaine to moan softly and Kurt's skin to tingle in excitement. He's so happy he just keeps making content noises, not even finding the time to feel self-conscious about them, and kisses Blaine back with all he has.

His head is reeling. He had no idea that kissing would involve so many _feelings_.

They kiss for a while, their lips moving together comfortably, changing up the pace every now and then, until they finally pull back and just rest their foreheads together for a few seconds.

"Wow," Blaine says dazedly.

"I think we're on the same page there," Kurt agrees.

* * *

Their hands are linked when they go back inside and if somebody notices, they're all incredibly subtle about it. Only Quinn, who seems to be content just watching her friends dance while cradling her belly lovingly, beams at them from afar, and Kurt witnesses another one of those silent conversations between Blaine and her.

Kurt avoids direct eye contact with his father for a while, which Blaine teases him for relentlessly, given that Kurt was in such a rush to tell Burt about their date earlier.

"Whatever, I clearly didn't think that one through," Kurt says with a roll of his eyes. "I'm so in for another sex talk, except it's going to be a lot more awkward this time, because he'll have an actual person to associate with the issue."

Blaine chokes on his water and Kurt pats his back, smirking a bit at his own antics.

* * *

Between two more shows, long and exhausting rehearsals for Sectionals in both Glee club and cheerleading, Kurt finds himself falling asleep at every chance he gets. Monday morning is pure torture and none of his teachers accept the school musicals as an excuse not to do his homework. Overworked and tired, he lets himself slump into the chair in English class and closes his eyes instantly.

"Morning, sunshine," Blaine greets him with a chuckle. And there's something else. A distinct smell… of… coffee?

Kurt's eyes fly open.

"Coffee!" he says excitedly and looks at the two cups in Blaine's hand.

"Mercedes told me you almost drooled your way through French," Blaine says. "So I figured you might want some coffee."

Kurt is speechless for a moment. "I- when did you get that?"

Blaine shrugs. "Lunch period. Just enough time to drive over to the Lima Bean."

"You skipped lunch so you could get me coffee?" Kurt mumbles, a little flustered.

He hasn't fully figured out this thing with Blaine yet. The last few days have been so busy for both of them that there hasn't really been enough time for them to discuss what is happening between them. It doesn't make things easier that they are constantly surrounded by people. The only people who really _know_ that there has been some serious development in their relationship are their siblings.

It was a bit awkward when they first saw each other after the night at Breadstix, during preparations for their second show. They didn't know whether to say hi, or hug, or kiss, and Blaine actually ended up _waving_ at Kurt. Kurt tried not to find it too endearing, but had to admit defeat soon enough. Once they figured out how to get around those moments of weirdness, it got a tiny bit easier, Kurt usually leaning in for a quick hug and Blaine squeezing his hand affectionately.

But tonight is there last performance and they have a date tomorrow, so where does that leave them?

Kurt wishes they had some time to talk in private.

But right now, coffee and sitting next to Blaine in class will have to do.

"I skipped lunch to get _us_ coffee," Blaine corrects and takes a sip of his own, sliding Kurt's coffee over to his side of the table. "And besides, Mercedes said she'd get me some take-out lunch and give it to me in Calc later."

Kurt drinks the coffee like it's mother's milk and moans into the cup. "Oh, this is good."

Blaine laughs. "I thought you might like it."

"That doesn't even begin to cover it," Kurt says and takes another sip. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Blaine says, watching Kurt down his coffee. "Even though I do recommend to talk to someone about your addiction."

"Shut up," Kurt retorts. "I'll need caffeine to make my Officer Krupke outshine your Tony tonight."

Blaine smirks at Kurt over the rim of his coffee cup. "We're back to the good ol' competition, huh?" he teases. "Are you going to pull focus all night so you can make up for the lack of scenes involving Krupke?"

"Your mom pulls focus," Kurt tells him around a yawn.

* * *

Their last performance is a blast. They lost some of their focus in the second show and got it back for their third, but their last one is probably the best one yet. They get standing ovations for the whole duration of the curtain call and as soon as they all head backstage, everyone is hugging and thanking each other for the great run. Well, everyone except for Rachel, who congratulates everyone on completing their first musical theatre run with a professional actress in their midst.

Kurt is about to make her shut up when Blaine throws his arms around him and holds on tight.

"You were so good!" he mutters into Kurt's ear. "You really did pull focus. In all the good ways."

"Your mom pulls focus in all the good ways," Kurt whispers teasingly, mainly to make Blaine giggle the same way he did in English earlier – it works perfectly, Blaine's body is shaking against his own – but also to break the tension between them. Ever since their kiss, he feels the urge to be closer, always so much closer to Blaine, and humor seems to be the only way to keep himself in check.

However, it doesn't seem to do the same to Blaine, who pulls back with eyes wet from laughter and some other kind of emotion that Kurt can't quite put his finger on. When Blaine leans in a bit more, though, Kurt realizes he is about to kiss him.

Kurt puts a finger to Blaine's lips. Blaine's eyes follow the motion, making him look hilariously cross-eyed for a second, before his face takes on a bit more confused look. Maybe even hurt.

"It's not that I don't want to," Kurt says quickly. "It's just… there's people around and… I kind of want to have this for myself just a little while longer? Maybe we could wait until after our date?"

Blaine looks appeased. "As long as I get to kiss you after our date," he mumbles, looking up at Kurt through his lashes a little bashfully. "I don't even know how I got through all these performances when kissing you is all I've been thinking about since Friday."

"You're really testing my resolve right now," Kurt says with a smile. "But tell you what, the minute we're out on our date, I'm going to kiss you whenever I feel the need to, okay?"

Blaine looks downright desperate for it and Kurt is almost relieved when Rachel comes over to demand their attention with hugs and more self-involved congratulatory speeches.

* * *

 _I forgot to tell you that you were absolutely amazing, too. – K_

 _:))) – B_

 _And also, I can't wait for our date tomorrow. – K_

 _Speaking of which, I hope I didn't make you feel like you *have* to kiss me. I'll be fine with just being in your company. No pressure. – B_

 _Blaine. – K_

 _What? – B_

 _I promise I really, really, really wanted to kiss you. I just want to take some time to talk to you about it before we're making it… public. Okay? – K_

 _I'm very okay with that. Just wanted to make sure you don't feel pressured. – B_

 _I made the first move last time, remember? – K_

 _Forever imprinted on my brain. – B_

Kurt looks down at the text for a long time and then smiles at his face in the mirror as he is getting ready for bed. He's trying to type out something non-pathetic as a response but is interrupted by another text from Blaine.

 _It's midnight. Our date is TODAY. :) – B_

 _You're really adorable. I'm going to bed now so I can be super awake tomorrow and not fall asleep on my date with this really nice guy whom I kind of want to impress. – K_

 _That's funny because I have a date, too, but I'm already so impressed with the guy he doesn't even have to try (it still would be nice if he didn't fall asleep because he'd miss the show we're watching). – B_

 _Good night, Blaine. :) – K_

 _Good night. ;) – B_

* * *

The next morning, on his way to the breakfast table, Kurt overhears Quinn tell Finn that Blaine has been sending her panicky text messages over what to wear on their date. Kurt's smile is so wide it's threating to split his face in half when he joins his brother and Quinn in the kitchen.

"You heard that, didn't you?" Quinn asks with a fond smirk playing around her mouth.

Kurt nods and can't help the giddy spring in his step when he gets a milk and some cereal from the kitchen counter.

Finn and Quinn both tease him for his barely concealed excitement on the drive to school and Kurt doesn't even feel the need to shoot back with some well-deserved sarcasm.

In English, Blaine slips him a note saying _No day but TODAY_ and Kurt scribbles back, _There's only us._ Their English teacher notices and gives them both a warning that Kurt really couldn't care less about because Blaine's ankle is currently placed firmly against his and Blaine's fingers are tracing invisible patterns on the desk contently.

* * *

Blaine takes Quinn to a doctor's appointment during lunch time. For the first time in weeks, the seat next to Kurt is empty. It's weird, thinking about how someone can become such an important presence in your life in such a short amount of time. Kurt only barely manages not to lose himself in the thought and smile at his pasta plate like an idiot.

Maybe it is a good thing Rachel takes Blaine's seat and distracts him from the inevitable train of thoughts his brain is conjuring up: Blaine, Blaine, Blaine, date today, what to wear, what will Blaine wear, Blaine's shiny eyes, Blaine's ridiculously cute eyebrows, Blaine's sunny smile, Blaine, Blaine-

"Kurt!"

Oh. Rachel is waving her hand right in his face. So much for the distraction, then.

He clears his throat.

"Um," he manages. "Sorry, Rachel."

"Are you free tonight?"

"Um-"

"I thought we could practice for Glee club and for NYADA. You know, it's almost time to apply and maybe choosing an audition song before sending in the documents might help with confidence so-"

"Rachel, I can't tonight," Kurt interrupts before Rachel can get ahead of herself.

"Oh," Rachel says with a frown, seemingly processing Kurt's answer, before she perks up again. "Hot date?"

Kurt blushes. He knows it's just an expression but…

"Yes, actually," he says with a little grin, trying to ignore the fact that his face is probably as red as the tomato sauce on his plate.

Rachel lets out a shriek and grabs his arm so forcefully he might need to check if she drew any blood later.

"Oh my god, Kurt!"

"Shh, shut up, Rachel," he shushes her quickly. "I wasn't looking to broadcast it for the whole cafeteria to hear."

"Sorry, sorry," she whispers. "But oh my god, tell me everything! It's Blaine, right?! Did he ask you or did you ask him? Do you think you're gonna kiss?"

She is being overly dramatic as always but instead of being annoyed, Kurt is kind of intrigued this time around. Because… this is _his_ news. For once, it isn't his friends having interesting stories to tell or dates to get ready for. For once, _he_ has something to share and gush about.

Maybe he should enjoy it.

So, in a rush of sudden giddiness, Kurt finally lets himself smile as widely as he possibly can.

"He asked me before the show last Friday," he says and Rachel makes a cooing sound. "And… well, um, we already kissed. At the afterparty."

Rachel's eyes widen to the size of saucers. "Kuuuurrrt!" she whines. "You had your first kiss and you didn't tell me?!"

"I kind of wanted to figure out what it all means first," he says apologetically.

"Fair enough," Rachel says and rests her elbows on the table with her hands cupping her face. "How was it?"

Kurt smiles wider. "Amazing."

"Who made the first move?"

"Uh." He thinks for a moment. "Me, I guess."

Rachel squeals. "Tell me everything!" she demands and pushes her lunch tray closer to Kurt's so they can stick their heads together in their typical best-friends fashion.

It's good to have her back.

* * *

By the time he needs to get ready for their date, Kurt is ready to burst, his body and mind buzzing with excitement. He feels like he has been dating Blaine for a long time, what with all those afternoons at the Lima Bean or at his house, but this first official milestone still needs to happen so Kurt can let himself believe it.

Their drive to Columbus is spent preparing for the show by listening to all the songs and singing along loudly. They reluctantly agree that their voices are not nearly deep enough to make a good Collins impression. They both try and end up laughing at each other so hard they cry.

"We'll open up a restaurant in Santa Fe," Blaine keeps singing over and over again, each time using a different technique to get his voice as low as he possibly can, at one point pushing his lips out and letting his head drop a bit to get into a better position, giving himself a ridiculous double chin. "Sunny Santa Fe would be… nice."

Kurt is practically wheezing with laughter. "Blaine," he pants out. "Blaine, you look like Dory speaking Whale!"

That cracks Blaine up so much they have to park the car at the side of the road for a while. Kurt takes advantage of the fact that Blaine doesn't have to keep his eyes on the road for a while and makes good of his promise to surprise Blaine. He climbs onto Blaine's lap the minute Blaine collects himself, which, in turn, leads to Blaine not really collecting himself after all, instead making a bunch of very delicious noises Kurt really needs to file away for later lest they end up skipping the "date" part of the evening altogether.

"As much as I love being fashionably late," Kurt whispers against Blaine's lips, leaning in for another quick peck before climbing off his boyfriend's (wow, there's something to file away for later, too) lap and retreating to his own seat, " _Seasons of Love_ is my favorite song and I'd really hate to miss it."

Blaine huffs as he starts the car. "You do realize that _you_ distracted _me_ , right? It's hardly my fault if we end up being late."

Kurt just hums dismissively and pounds his hands on the dashboard playfully, as if he's doing a drum roll. "Go, go, go!" he urges.

"You're ridiculous," Blaine tells him. "Also, whose favorite Rent song is _Seasons of Love_?! That is the most clichéd choice in the whole universe."

"Oh, I bet yours is _Cover You_ because that's a lot less obvious," Kurt drawls and he is pretty sure that Blaine's mock-offended gasp means that he hit home.

"I'll have you know that I'm actually very fond of _Over The Moon_."

"Shut up," Kurt deadpans. "That's nobody's favorite song, you can't be serious."

"Very," Blaine insists.

"You know what, actually, that makes sense, Katy Perry boy."

Blaine pretends to be so mad that he doesn't speak to Kurt for half an hour. The only thing giving him away is the happy grin on his face and Kurt is certain that he has a matching one on his own.

* * *

"How was your date?" Burt asks once Kurt closes the front door behind him.

"Dad!" Kurt shrieks in shock. "God, you scared me."

"You missed your curfew by," Burt checks his watch, "eleven minutes and twenty seconds."

Kurt raises an eyebrow at his dad's words.

"Did you really wait up for me and checked the exact time of my arrival?" he asks.

"Hey, don't mock your poor, worried father for looking out for you."

Kurt laughs. "Have you _met_ Blaine, dad? He's the most harmless creature in the world."

"He still managed to get you home late," Burt grunts in response.

"No, _I_ managed to get myself home late," Kurt says with a grin, replaying the last ten minutes of his date in his head. "Blaine was actually very adamant that I go inside earlier but I managed to convince him otherwise."

Burt stares at him, probably trying to decide whether his son is joking or not. "That is bordering on TMI," he finally says and Kurt cackles.

"Did you just say TMI?" he teases. "Wow, dad, you're so young and hip."

Burt smiles. "I'm glad you had fun," he tells Kurt. "But could you still come home on time after your next date?"

Kurt nods and bites his lip for a moment before letting his body fall against his dad's in a hug. "Sorry, dad," he says earnestly. "I just wasn't ready to say goodbye yet."

"I know the feeling," Burt replies.

They stay like that for a while.

* * *

Dating Blaine Anderson seems gossip-worthy enough for it to become McKinley's number 1 topic. They don't mention it to him directly, but Kurt hears his name more than once when he passes some groups of people he has never talked to in his life in the hallway. He rolls his eyes at them and continues his strut to his locker whenever it happens, because whatever they are saying about him, the reason they are talking in the first place is his amazing boyfriend.

Yes, they're boyfriends. Kurt knows because he asked when he met Blaine at his car before school the day after their date and got a kiss in response that he's pretty sure means "hell yes" or something along those lines. Needless to say, they both came in late for their first class.

So, really, those people can gossip all they want about something, or someone, rather, that is making him so happy.

Because what is gossip compared to the rush of being in an amazing show, being able to call the show's star his _boyfriend_ and getting to kiss said _boyfriend_ on his way to his first class when he stops by his _boyfriend_ 's locker each morning? Right. Nothing at all.

"Hi, boyfriend," Kurt sing-songs on Friday morning.

"And yourself," Blaine says, acting flattered, as if being Kurt's boyfriend was an honor. And knowing Blaine, Kurt assumes he probably thinks it is.

"You know you don't have to walk me to class each morning, right?" Blaine comments when Kurt takes a detour to his own classroom to drop off Blaine at his.

"I know, but this way I can tell you about how the cute bowtie set you've been eyeing is on sale right now, and then you can tell me how much you want our next date to be at the mall, and I will still have a few seconds left to accept and give you a kiss on the cheek before I have to sprint to my very boring biology class."

Blaine nods, seemingly in thought, hugging his books to his chest and resting his chin on them.

"Throw in an actual kiss instead of just the cheek and I'll be game," Blaine jokes finally and Kurt smirks at him.

"You're so predictable," he tells Blaine, who just stops walking, shrugs and puts a hand to Kurt's arm to lightly spin him around.

"Really, though?" he asks and darts in to peck Kurt on the cheek instead of waiting for Kurt to do it. "You had me at bowtie sale."

After he sees Blaine off at the classroom, Sam already waiting to drown Blaine in questions about his favorite Star Wars quotes and Blaine clapping his hands together enthusiastically (apparently, the two struck up a weird friendship when they worked on a Glee club assignment together), Kurt can't stop thinking about how happy he is. Is there a level of happiness where it gets dangerous? Like, where he gets himself into life-threatening situations because he was thinking of how cute Blaine is when he has to stand up on his tiptoes to whisper something in Kurt's ear (usually ridiculous pick-up lines that should not work on Kurt but somehow still do)?

Ah, well. So his tombstone will read "died due to boyfriend's adorableness". Kurt can live with it. Or… not, obviously. Whatever.

The point is – he's happy.

While he is not getting _lucky_ in the way some people – well, Santana, actually – keep suggesting, Kurt still considers the past few weeks his lucky streak.

And it seems like said lucky streak is continuing because even without Rachel, the New Directions place first in sectionals, beating both the Unitards and the Dalton Academy Warblers (which Blaine would have attended if Blaine's mom hadn't moved to Lima) – by a narrow margin, but significant enough for them to win.

He even got a tiny solo in a group number. So, luck seems to be on his side.

However, with the deadline for the NYADA application approaching quickly, Kurt can feel his confidence crumbling again. Blaine and Rachel have already sent in their documents, neat and early and probably full of impressive achievements and recommendations.

Kurt is feeling left behind, and inadequate, and not even Blaine's complete faith in him, expressed in encouraging text messages and motivational speeches over the phone each night, manage to change the dark feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He doesn't communicate the feeling, though. He knows deep down that Blaine wouldn't laugh at his fear, won't agree with him, won't mind if Kurt lets his guard down completely.

But he just can't.

Sure, he can be sarcastic about it, he can poke fun at it. But he can't talk about it seriously and admit how much he really is scared shitless.

It's never been Kurt's thing to show vulnerability. He just can't bring himself to cross that line – even if Blaine's voice is so temptingly soothing over the phone.

"Just make sure to really ace your essay," Blaine tells him one night during their mutual moisturizing ritual. "Your résumé won't matter as much if your letter of motivation is convincing."

Kurt snorts indignantly. "Nonsense," he says hollowly. "Letters of motivation are just repeating what you've listed in your résumé in greater detail. What would I even list there?"

Blaine doesn't even falter for a second. "Talk about what high school was like for you, how you put up a fight against bullying, and how much it would mean to you if you got a chance of enrolling in a school that offers a great program as well as a safe place."

"I feel like that's just… begging for it." Kurt sighs. "Sorry, I don't mean to criticize your ideas. I appreciate your help."

"I know," Blaine says. "I just… you're worth so much more than your résumé. Don't beat yourself up about it."

"I'm not," Kurt insists. Except he really, really is. "Don't worry, please, I'll think of something."

He doesn't.

He postpones doing the final touches to his applications until the very last day, staying up the entire night worrying about what he'll do if he doesn't get in.

He's rereading his letter of motivation over and over again when he suddenly hears a knock on his bedroom door.

"Yes?" Kurt says distractedly.

Finn appears in the doorway.

"Hey, brother from another mother," he says shyly. "I… uh, I brought you milk."

Kurt smiles at his brother. "Finn, it's 4 am," he admonishes with a glance at his alarm clock, "what are you doing still up?"

"Hypnotist," Finn says, a frown appearing on his face a second later. "No, wait, what's that word?"

"I think you mean hypocrite." Kurt chuckles good-naturedly. "I'm awake because I'm going over my NYADA application. It's due today and-"

"-it's your ticket out of Lima, I know," Finn finishes for him. "I heard you talk to Rachel about it often enough."

Kurt accepts the milk Finn places in his hands and scoots a bit to the side to make room for his brother.

"So what's your excuse?" Kurt asks. "Is Quinn hogging the blanket again?"

Finn shakes his head, but stays silent otherwise.

"You should probably go to bed," Kurt tells him, moving the glass of milk to his lips. "We have school tomorrow and- ew, Finn, you brought me cold milk."

"Oh, shit, I forgot to heat it!" Finn exclaims. Kurt can't help but laugh at his horrified face. "I can't even bring my brother milk without screwing it up."

"Don't worry, I won't die from cold milk," Kurt says wryly.

"Kurt, I'm scared of being a dad," Finn says slowly, as if he's slowly realizing this for the first time. "I don't know anything about children. I'm a child myself."

Kurt sighs, the words hitting him right in the guts. "You'll be fine," he says, hoping that Quinn will make up her mind soon because lying to his own brother is tearing him apart more than anything else.

"I forgot to heat the milk, what if I forget to feed the baby?"

"Finn, come on, that's hardly comparable. You're a bit clumsy and chaotic, but that doesn't mean you're not dad material."

"And I don't know what to do with my future," Finn mumbles, ignoring Kurt's words. "I don't wanna stay in Lima. But where would Quinn and I even go?"

Kurt nods sadly. "Yeah, I don't want to live in Lima forever, either."

"Dude, you're applying to NYADA."

"But will I get in?" Kurt asks miserably. "Look at Rachel and Blaine. That's the kind of people who apply to NYADA, with all their achievements. The two of them could probably get in with their application alone, no auditions needed…"

Finn doesn't say anything else for a while, until he clears his throat and asks, "Can I sleep here? Quinn does steal my blanket a lot."

Kurt smiles at him and nods.

Finn is already snoring peacefully by the time he finally decides to stop fussing over the application, just submit everything and go to sleep.

His heart won't stop thudding heavily against his chest, though.

 _I will get in, I won't_ , Kurt keeps thinking in time with the beating against his ribcage.

 _I will get in, I won't._

 _I will get in, I won't._

 _I will…_


	5. Holding Hands Walls Come Tumbling Down

_**A/N: Chapters are getting longer from this point on, hope that's fine with all of you. ;) Thank you once again for the support, for following and reviewing - it makes me smile a lot. :)**_

* * *

 **\- Holding Hands While the Walls Come Tumbling Down -**

Getting into NYADA is the last thing on Kurt's mind the next morning. He wakes up to voices.

Loud, yelling voices.

Loud, yelling voices coming from his brother's bedroom.

He doesn't realize what's going on at first, just mumbles a prickly "Shut uuuup, morons," and buries his head under the pillow.

The source of the noise shifts to the hallway.

"I have nowhere to go, Finn!" Quinn's pleading voice can be heard, and Kurt's head shoots up from underneath his pillow. "My dad still lives in our house, he won't take me back!"

"I don't fucking care where you go! I can't even look at you!" Finn shouts back, hurt and anger laced into every syllable of his words. "I'm not responsible for any of this!"

Kurt sits up straight, shooting a quick glance at his alarm clock on the bedside table. Only five more minutes until his alarm goes off. He turns it off, feeling like his body is working on autopilot as he swings his legs out of bed.

"I know," Quinn says, much quieter than Finn, and sounding quite defeated.

Kurt crosses the way from his bed to the hallway quickly, lingering at the closed door for a minute. What does one do in this situation? Stay and listen? Show their face?

"You can't stay, Quinn," Finn says. It sounds like he's fighting back tears. "You just can't."

Kurt can't take it anymore. He opens his door and steps out into the hallway.

The first thing he notices is that Burt and Carole are lingering at their own bedroom door, in a similar sleepy, shocked state as Kurt.

The second thing he notices is Finn holding Quinn's phone in his hands, his fingers white from how hard they are pressing it into his fist.

"Finn," Kurt says, his voice still scratchy from sleep. "Maybe-"

He freezes on the spot when Finn turns around to face him, eyes bloodshot and distant.

"Did you know?" he hisses.

"I- what-"

"Did you know, Kurt?"

Kurt has never heard Finn talk like this. He feels an unpleasant shiver go through his insides, and a sudden urge to vomit.

He doesn't open his mouth. He doesn't dare to say anything when Finn is looking at him like that.

Instead, he just nods.

Kurt feels like he just muted the TV. There are no sounds, Finn stays silent. But Kurt can _see_ his reaction. He nods slowly, as if trying to make sense of what Kurt is implying, looking so utterly betrayed that it makes tears well up in Kurt's eyes. And then Finn turns his back on him. Quinn flinches, like she is expecting to be yelled at again, but instead, Finn drops the phone, and marches past her to his bedroom door.

Unmute.

Finn turns back around and speaks, voice icy and disgusted. "Stay the fuck out of my life, both of you."

It feels like a slap to his face. A physical slap might have been less hurtful, even.

Quinn starts crying, shoulders heaving with silent sobs and tears spilling out of her eyes uncontrollably. Kurt wants to hug her, but even more than before he finds himself wondering: Where is the line between being Finn's brother and being her friend?

It is Carole, then, who steps out into the hallway and gently brings two hands up to cup Quinn's shoulders soothingly.

"Let's get you some water, honey," she says quietly, and steers Quinn towards the stairs. "You, too, Kurt."

Kurt throws his father a glance before following Quinn. Burt looks stern. And confused. Kurt wishes he could just go back to bed and dream everything away.

"You should be with Finn," Quinn says shakily between sips of water, when Carole insists on sitting down with Kurt and Quinn.

"He wouldn't want me to talk to him right now," Carole says with the certainty of a mother who has witnessed her son throw tantrums since he could talk. "I'll speak with him later."

"I'm so sorry," Quinn sobs.

"It's okay," Carole says, pouring herself a glass of water as well.

Kurt still hasn't said a word. Maybe he has lost his ability to speak, maybe he just can't process his thoughts.

Burt joins them in the living room, closing the door behind himself.

"What's going on here?" he asks.

Quinn's lip trembles, and Carole doesn't seem to think she's qualified to answer the question, so Kurt finally decides to open his mouth.

"Finn isn't the father. It's Puck. Quinn was scared to tell Finn because he was her only source of support and she knew their relationship wouldn't survive." Kurt takes a deep breath. "I knew. Rachel told me. Blaine knows, too."

"You knew?" Burt asks. "And you never told Finn?"

It doesn't sound like an accusation. Thinking of Finn alone in his room upstairs, though, Kurt still feels like it should be one.

"I wanted to so badly. But Quinn promised she would get things sorted out, and until then she needed her safety net – us." Quinn takes his hand and squeezes in what Kurt thinks might be a thankful gesture. "I couldn't tell Finn, it wasn't my place to do so."

Carole sighs. "I suppose there is no right and wrong in this situation," she says.

"How did Finn find out?" Burt wants to know, clearly addressing Quinn this time.

"Yeah, how?" Kurt asks, drawing his eyebrows together. "Finn fell asleep in my room yesterday, so what was he doing back in his room?"

Quinn squeezes Kurt's hand harder. "Puck got drunk last night. He sent me messages," she explains, taking a few calming breaths every now and then. "I slept through the notifications, but then he started calling and I woke up. When I saw that Finn wasn't in the room, I picked up. I told Puck to stop calling me. I thought I was quiet but- I don't know, I think I got pretty angry and Finn… he must have heard me. When I heard the footsteps, I put the phone away and pretended to sleep." She gulps. "So stupid of me, thinking that would work. When Finn entered the room, he went straight for the phone and saw all of Puck's messages."

They all stay silent.

"I'm s-so sorry," Quinn whispers again, looking down at her belly. "You've been so nice to me, and all I did was lie."

"Don't worry about us," Kurt tells her. "You should call Blaine. I'm sure he'll pick you up."

"I can't go back while my dad still lives there," Quinn says sadly. "I don't know what to do."

Kurt thinks it through quickly. Quinn can't stay with Rachel, obviously. But maybe…

"Mercedes," Kurt says. "I'll call her."

Quinn looks unconvinced.

"Doesn't hurt to ask," Kurt insists.

As it turns out, it really doesn't hurt to ask. Even though Mercedes sounds sleepy and confused, she agrees to help Quinn out as soon as she gets the whole picture.

At first, they're not sure what to do about Quinn's stuff, with Finn still in the house, but the problem solves itself when they go back to Kurt's room and find all of her belongings on the floor in front of his door. Finn must have dropped them there while they were talking downstairs.

"Fuck," Quinn says under her breath. "This is so screwed up. I'm so sorry I'm putting you through this."

"I made the decision not to say anything myself," Kurt replies simply. "We've all messed up a little, I guess."

They manage to get dressed and pack Quinn's bags just in time before Mercedes texts Kurt that she's parked in the driveway.

When they open the door, it's not only Mercedes standing on their doorstep. Blaine is there, too, waving a small hello.

"Blaine!" Quinn cries out, flinging herself at him. "How…?"

"I texted him," Mercedes says. "I figured you might have been too busy to do it." She immediately takes Quinn's bag, refusing the help she is offered. "Take your time."

Blaine, still clinging onto Quinn and rocking her a little bit, smiles at Kurt with his cheek pressed to Quinn's hair. "Morning, Kurt."

Kurt smiles back easily, a tiny bit of his heavy heart lifting, and steps closer to give his boyfriend a quick kiss to the cheek.

Quinn pulls Kurt into the embrace. "I'll never forget what you did for me," she whispers into his ear. "You've been a really good friend."

He squeezes her back. "Don't be a stranger, okay? I'll come visit you at Mercedes' place."

She smiles through her tears. "Okay."

Mercedes comes back and gets pulled into the hug as well.

"I didn't even have time to shower, guys," she mutters but squeezes all of them back. "Ready to go?" she asks Quinn after a while.

Quinn takes a deep breath and nods.

"You'll be fine," Kurt tells her and watches his two friends getting into the car.

Blaine bites his lips next to him, following Quinn with his eyes. He waits until Mercedes' car is out of sight to turn to Kurt.

"Coffee before school?" he asks.

"Yes, please!" Kurt says and runs back inside to get his bag. He pauses in the hallway, glancing at Finn's door.

 _It's no use yet_ , he thinks. _Give him time._

* * *

School proves to be absolute hell and Kurt is glad he had a non-fat mocha to at least make him look decently awake in class. Outside of class, no amount of coffee could get him through the mess sanely. Finn has gone on a killing spree – not literally, of course, but he is either silently murdering people with his look, or hissing things at them. Kurt sees several students share a concerned look as they pass his brother. Finn is known at McKinley as a slightly goofy, overall loveable giant teddy bear. And as the other half of the "it" couple. They broke up twice before and the news travelled fast… but this time, nobody needs to hear it from anybody else. Finn is doing quite a bang-up job of telling the tale all by himself.

"Did you know, too?" he bellows at random people in the hallway. "I see how it is – everybody knew but me! Nobody had the fucking guts to tell me!"

Kurt stays rooted on the spot at his locker when Finn's one-man parade makes halt a few feet from him. He has never seen Finn like this. They've had plenty of arguments and nobody in their little family will ever forget the f-word incident from two years ago, but this is way scarier. Kurt feels responsible for this, and it's becoming more and more unbearable. When Finn was still in the dark, it was mere guilt. Gnawing guilt, very unpleasant, but nothing compared to the stone-cold pain of _knowledge_. Knowledge that he's hurt his brother deeply, that Finn is going more or less insane over something that could have been settled with a peaceful, if slightly awkward conversation.

He is aware that he partly didn't tell Finn because he promised Quinn to keep her secret safe for the time being, but if he's really being truly honest with himself, he was also a little scared and too much of a coward to tell Finn the truth. Even a fraction of Finn's behavior today would have been hurtful to watch. Kurt knows deep down that he just tried to prolong the time until it would happen – just like Quinn.

Maybe he should have let Rachel spill the beans that one day in school. He wouldn't have betrayed neither Quinn nor Blaine – he could have just claimed that he simply wasn't fast enough to stop her.

But, god, just the thought of Finn finding out through Rachel, at school no less… no, it was still for the best that Finn found out on his own.

Even if Kurt is scared that Finn will now hate him forever.

Finn hasn't spotted him at his locker yet and is currently screaming at Jacob Ben Israel so loudly that several students are pulling out their cellphones to take videos.

"Newsflash, Jacob!" Finn yells. "Quinn is a cheating bitch and I'm not actually going to be the father of the demon baby! You know who she actually fucked behind my back and got knocked up by? My best friend Puck!"

Jacob looks like he is going to wet himself at any given moment but still pulls out his notebook and starts writing the information down.

Kurt almost slams his head against the locker but refrains from it when he catches a glimpse of Brittany across from him in the hallway, recording the scene on her phone as well.

"Put that away," Kurt hisses in her direction.

"The police will need evidence, Kurt!" she whispers back.

"Oh for-" Kurt walks over and grabs the phone from her hands, stopping and deleting the video immediately.

"Kurt!" she whines as he pockets her phone.

"I'll give it back to you at lunch," he says. Usually, he'd let it go, but it's Brittany, and nobody ever knows what's going on behind that innocent smile. God forbids she actually contacts the police because of this.

"Teen Wolf!" Kurt hears Principal Figgins shout at Finn over the gossiping student body. "My office, now!"

Several teachers need to accompany Finn to the principal's office. A large crowd of students apparently decides to go watch. Kurt feels torn between following suit to make sure Finn is alright and just locking himself away somewhere so he can't do any more damage. He settles for actually getting the books for his next class out of his locker. He is in the process of shoving them into his back, when a rasping voice coming from behind his locker makes him jump.

"Ah, don't you just enjoy a good spectacle in the morning?"

Kurt almost drops his books in surprise.

"Jesus Chr- Coach Sylvester?" Kurt asks and collects himself.

"Your brother is causing quite the turmoil," Coach Sylvester continues as if nothing had happened. "I'd enjoy it, since I have a tendency to do the same when I'm upset, but this is actually putting me in a bad position."

Kurt considers her with a questioning look. "How do you mean?" he finally asks cautiously.

"Well," Coach Sylvester says with her usual air of superior serenity, "your hobbit boyfriend with that cute little face of his that I can't say no to convinced me that keeping his pregnant sister on the squad would not only give her the chance to train him as cheerios captain but also make me look good as someone who supports young girls in difficult situations."

That sounds so very much like Blaine that Kurt can't suppress a small smile playing around the edges of his otherwise thin-pressed lips.

"But now that your brother is letting everyone and their mother know that Q is much more than just a naïve girl in trouble and cheated on him with no other than Mohawk sporting Noah Puckerman with a history of bad choices leading to juvie, there is not much I can do for her anymore. It's no longer just a tragedy, Porcelain." She pauses and looks him in the eye. "It's a trainwreck."

"Are you…?" Kurt trails off, not sure if he wants to know what he's asking exactly, and much less the answer.

"Let's talk in my office," Coach Sylvester says.

"I have French," Kurt protests primly but she cuts him off.

"I'll write you a pass."

Kurt has no choice but to follow her. His eyes widen when he sees Blaine sitting one of the chairs across from her desk, his gaze stubbornly trained on the desk in front of him even when Coach Sylvester enters the room.

"I'd introduce you two but I'm sure you've already had the pleasure of getting to know one another," Coach Sylvester says. Kurt ignores the innuendo. He's got thick enough skin to endure his coach's little taunts.

From the looks of it, Blaine does, too.

"You've got some nerve, not even inviting Quinn to the meeting," he says to Coach Sylvester, staring her down with an icy glare as she sits on the desk in front of him and Kurt.

She looks much taller like that and Kurt has to admit he is a little bit intimidated. And he's still not quite sure what he's doing in her office.

"Q has already been informed that she will no longer be captain of the cheerios."

Kurt's question is confirmed. He wants to break something.

"You can't just throw her off the team," Blaine hisses and Coach Sylvester puts up a hand to stop him from continuing.

"Relax, pint-sized Hansel," she says calmly. "Your sister Gretel will still be on the team, I'm not a witch."

"What's your angle then?"

"I can't have someone leading my team whose escapades cause a school-wide riot," Coach Sylvester explains. "I like Q, I do. She reminds me of a young Sue Sylvester, minus the so-called Christian values and the inevitable betrayal of said values. But she will be bad press… and I need good press to keep my team afloat. Times are hard at McKinley, I'm being upstaged by that miserable excuse for what you call a great show choir teacher, and I can't risk anything."

"So, what, you called me here to let me know I will have to do the captain job all by myself?"

"My dear Blaine, what do you think Porcelain is here for?"

Blaine blinks slowly. "Who- what?"

"She's talking about me," Kurt offers, already knowing what Coach Sylvester is hinting at. Had this news come before he developed a friendship with either Quinn or Blaine, Kurt would have been ecstatic about it. Hell, Rachel would still celebrate with him. But Kurt feels the opposite of joy settle deep in his stomach. "She wants to make me co-captain."

Blaine looks at him, understanding dawning on his face.

"Oh," he says dumbly and sits back in the chair, obviously torn between being outraged at his sister being thrown off the position and his boyfriend finally getting a chance to take the lead in a team.

Coach Sylvester smirks. "I thought you wouldn't be too upset by the news now."

Oh, that wicked woman is playing Blaine like a harp.

"I can't accept the offer," Kurt says immediately.

"Kurt-" Blaine says but Kurt interrupts, shifting in his chair to face Blaine.

"No, I really can't. I'll admit I wanted to become captain to better my chances of getting into NYADA but what good is it now that the application has already been sent in? I'm busy as it is and frankly, I don't want to take Quinn's position like it's all fine and dandy."

"Porcelain," Coach Sylvester admonishes, and her tone clearly insinuates that she has not counted on him refusing the job, "think about it some more and get back to-"

"No," Kurt says again, with conviction. He is feeling righteous for the first time today and he is not going to fight it. "Give the position to Santana, or to Becky, or to someone else, but don't bother trying to convince me. I won't go behind the back of a friend again. This needs to stop."

He storms out of the office, leaving a probably furious Sue Sylvester and a definitely floored Blaine behind.

* * *

Kurt hooks his messenger bag higher up his shoulder so he can carry his lunch tray more safely. He's craning his neck to look for his friends when suddenly, an arm hooks through his own free one and steers him into a different direction. Kurt almost throws his tray at the kidnapper, thinking it might be Azimio trying to relive Karofsky and his glory days from junior year but when he looks up, he sees blonde hair and a frowning face.

"Quinn?" Kurt asks a little dumbfounded. "What's going on?"

"We need to talk," she says.

"About what?" he asks, even though he's pretty sure he knows the answer. It's fair to assume that word got out he refused the Cheerios captain position. Who knows what kind of riot Sue Sylvester started after he refuses her. Oh God, maybe he shouldn't have left Blaine alone with her.

"Numerous things, actually," Quinn replies, stopping at an empty table in a corner of the cafeteria and helping him put his things down.

Kurt steels himself for a lecture as he waits for Quinn to sit down as well. Her lunch tray is already sitting on the table so she must have gotten up as soon as she saw him navigating the table maze of the cafeteria.

"I don't know whether to thank you or hit you over the head with my handbag," Quinn confesses, meeting his gaze with a little smile.

"I'd prefer the first option," Kurt answers.

Quinn reaches over to take his hand. "Look, it's nice of you to do that but if you want to be captain, you have my blessing."

"I don't want that," Kurt counters at once. "The idea has crossed my mind, sure, but it's not a life-long dream of mine or anything like that. It would have served the purpose of giving me an advantage in an application that has already been submitted, so no, I don't actually need more obligations to keep me busy."

Quinn eyes him for a bit and lets go of his hand after he clearly passed whatever scrutiny he had been under.

"Okay then," she says. "If it had been just for my benefit, I would have tried to convince you to take it, but if it doesn't fit your schedule _and_ makes Sue cry at the same time, I won't oppose."

Kurt laughs. "I doubt she'll cry. She doesn't like being refused but there's tons of other cheerleaders she can make captain."

"But Blaine will give her a hard time," Quinn says with a smirk. "He would have been okay with you replacing me, I guess, but he most definitely will not go along with any of her crazy schemes now."

"Do you think he's okay?" Kurt asks. "I kind of left him alone with her when I stormed out of her office."

"Blaine's fine," Quinn reassures him. "He was the one who told me about the little stunt you pulled."

Kurt sighs in relief. You do have to wonder what kind of disturbed school you're spending your young teenage life at if you have to worry about your gym teacher killing your boyfriend.

"So, what else do we have to talk about?" Kurt asks.

Quinn gives him a look. "Finn," she says.

"Oh," Kurt says. "Right. Did he get a suspension?"

"No, just a warning for now," Quinn tells him while stirring her tea in deep thought. She stays silent for a while and then sighs, looking up at Kurt. "I never wanted this to happen."

"Nobody wanted this to happen," Kurt says. "He's got a right to be mad but he kind of went overboard with it, don't you think?"

Quinn shrugs. "I've been known to throw a tantrum every now and then," she says. "I don't blame him."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it," Kurt says. "Except apologizing over and over again until he believes us."

"How long do you think it'll take?"

"It's Finn, he's a got a heart of gold," Kurt replies and sounds a lot more confident than he actually feels. "How long can it take?"

* * *

Blaine apparently is less forgiving about the cheerleading position than Quinn. The five minutes they have before English, usually spent with subtle flirting and teasing eye contact, are now filled with sulking. Kurt can't exactly tell if he is more upset about Quinn getting thrown off or him refusing the position.

"Blaine, lighten up," Kurt says gently. "At least you still get to be captain."

Blaine just huffs, so Kurt tries a different strategy.

"And Finn hasn't killed Quinn or me yet," he jokes, though attempting to avoid his guilt with humor isn't exactly working for himself. "That's a plus, right?"

Blaine just frowns. "Well, he did yell at _me_."

Kurt whips his head around at his boyfriend. "He did? What for?!"

"To keep my 'good-for-nothing sister' in check," Blaine mumbles. "And he said he was sure I must be evil and deceiving, too, if I hang out with you two."

Kurt's eyes widen. He's shocked that Finn is dragging Blaine into it, too. Then again, after he shouted at random people in the hallway, maybe it was to be expected.

Kurt shuffles closer and kisses Blaine's cheek, even though he's usually careful not to put their relationship on display in the classroom so they won't get a suspension. But their teacher isn't here yet and his boyfriend is in distress, so how could he not?

"He doesn't know what he's saying," Kurt assures Blaine. "He hangs out with us, too, doesn't he? Usually, I mean." Blaine doesn't seem convinced, so Kurt goes for more humor by adding, "And you're probably the least evil and deceiving person I know. You got sorted into Hufflepuff on Pottermore."

Blaine sighs but a little smile plays at his lips. Kurt counts it as a personal victory.

* * *

Kurt is on his way to Econ when he comes to a sudden halt. Econ. Sitting next to Finn. Oh, no. As much as he wants to talk to Finn (or maybe yell at him for yelling at Blaine), he can't take a whole hour of fuming hatred in a confined space.

He turns on his heel. He's not one to skip class, usually. Never, actually. At least not without a good excuse. Is having an angry, out-of-his-mind brother who might possibly kill you if you even so much as move a finger a good excuse to skip class?

He decides that it is and makes a beeline for the parking lot, carefully avoiding the hallway with the teacher's lounge in it, lest his teacher see him and make him come to class.

When he reaches his car, there's already someone leaning against it with his back to him. From afar, he first fears that it's Finn, but as he gets closer, he realizes that the person is not tall enough to be his brother.

"Blaine?" he calls out.

Blaine turns, a sheepish smile on his face. "I was going to turn around right as you reached the car and say something creepy like 'I've been expecting you'."

Kurt raises an eyebrow. "How would you have known it was me reaching the car? You had your back to the school building."

Blaine points to a nearby car. "I was watching you in the reflection of that window."

Kurt steps close to follow the movement of Blaine's hand and finally looks back to Blaine with a grin. "You're such a dork."

Blaine shrugs. "I knew you were going to skip to avoid Finn."

"So you skipped, too?"

"Nope."

"Blaine, you're not in class. That's skipping."

"I have a free period."

"Sure you do," Kurt deadpans.

"I swear!" Blaine exclaims. "My Calc teacher is out with a cold and they couldn't get a substitute."

Kurt laughs. "Alright, alright. So you have a free period, you thought of me not going to Econ, and decided to wait for me at my car?"

Blaine nods, clearly gauging Kurt's reaction.

Kurt flings his arms around him. "You're too perfect," he breathes out. "Thank you."

Blaine squeezes his hips and buries his nose in Kurt's neck, clearly needing the embrace as much as Kurt.

"Are you feeling a little better?" Kurt asks him, refusing to let go of the warm body against his.

"Yeah," Blaine mutters. "This is helping."

Kurt smiles and pulls his head back just a little bit to press little kisses all over Blaine's face.

"And now?" he asks.

Blaine smiles and kisses Kurt deeply instead of answering. Kurt inhales sharply and pulls at Blaine's jacket while deepening the kiss.

"So, my rogue, class-skipping boyfriend," Blaine pants huskily once they come up for air, "what is your plan for this spontaneous free hour?"

"I was going to sit in my car and play some sad music," Kurt admits. He blames the way Blaine's voice has gone all rough from kissing him for what he adds next, "But now I'm thinking we could just make out in the backseat of my car."

"I'm not sure if that's a question or a command but either way, I'm totally fine with it," Blaine rasps and pulls Kurt to the car door enthusiastically.

* * *

Skipping Econ was a success and Kurt has two hickeys to prove it. Not that he's one to brag, they're both beneath shirt area so he won't flaunt them to anyone, but he likes knowing that they're there and that Blaine has one to match (there was no time for two, sadly, but Kurt figures there'll be more chances to even the score).

Even after his last class of the day, his head is still reeling from one of the only horizontal make-out experiences he's had so far (he is not counting the almost make-out session on his bed that had to be interrupted when they heard Carole and Burt come home from work) and he's going to Glee club with a fond smile on his face.

It slips right off his face as soon as he sets foot into the choir room.

Rachel is sitting in the corner, gnawing on her lip with big, worried eyes, Blaine has assumed a similar position next to Quinn, who is hanging her head and covering her face with her hands, Tina is gripping Mike's arm in concern, Rory is sort of hiding behind Mercedes, Brittany is taking a video again while Artie tries to peer over her shoulder instead of watching the real deal – which is Santana yelling at Finn in Spanish while Finn shouts back, his face so red it looks like it's going to burst. They're both standing in the middle of the room and neither of them looks like they will wave the white flag anytime soon.

"What's going on here?" Kurt demands to know but gets ignored in favor of what he assumes is another Spanish insult-driven rant. He takes two big steps and takes one of Santana's wildly gesturing arms. It doesn't make her stop ranting, but it does make Finn go off like a bomb.

"Oh, great, take her side in this, too, will ya?" he hollers.

Kurt slowly gets his hand off Santana, who is retreating with a smirk on her face, like she is waiting for a gossip-worthy moment to unfold. Ignoring her, he focuses all his attention on Finn and feels rage bubble up like hot, angry water that is threatening to spill over.

"I am not taking anyone's side," he hisses warningly, close to a whisper but still audible because the room has fallen completely silent. "I was simply trying to stop her from clawing _your_ eyes out."

"Not taking anyone's side my ass!" Finn sneers. "You're the one who knew all along and never told me because you were too busy sucking up to Quinn so you could get laid by her brother!"

Kurt barely registers the gasps in the choir room because the angry water does spill over, deep from his gut, right out of his mouth.

"What?!" he spits. "My relationship with Blaine has absolutely nothing to do with you and neither does my friendship to Quinn, which, by the way, is nothing but genuine!"

"I couldn't care less about how genuine it is, Kurt," Finn yells. "You're my brother and you shouldn't keep things from me, no matter what!"

"So what, you want me to stop hanging out with Quinn and Blaine just because you have a problem with it and think it's my brotherly duty to do so?"

"Wouldn't hurt to show some support, would it?"

"What the hell, Finn?" Kurt is sure his face is as red as a tomato but now, he feels like he's actually fuming. "I'm not breaking it off with Blaine for your benefit and I'm not going to stop being friends with Quinn just because you can't see the world in colors other than black and white!"

"I don't know what world you live in but in my book, not telling your brother that his girlfriend isn't actually pregnant with _his_ baby is never the right thing to do," Finn bellows. "But nice to know that you think it's fine!"

"You've never even bothered to hear my side of the story and now you're just assuming whatever seems most convenient to you!" Kurt shouts.

Finn balls his fists. "You clearly didn't think I deserved the truth, though," he says, much quieter all of a sudden, and hurt creeps into his voice at the same time as the rage leaves Kurt's body. "If you can't come to me with something as big as that, why should I come to you and ask for reasons?"

"Finn," Kurt whispers. "It's not like that, I-"

Finn doesn't stay to listen. He steps out of the room without another word and leaves Kurt with that familiar empty, guilty feeling.

He stares after his brother, lower lip trembling, and doesn't even bat an eye when Santana, of all people, comes up to him, puts an arm around his shoulders and directs him to an empty chair behind hers and right in front of Blaine's. Kurt feels Blaine's hands on his shoulders even before he can sit down properly. He covers them with his own hands and squeezes in what he hopes Blaine will understand as a thankful move because he can't bring himself to turn around and face him just now. He's afraid he will give in and burst into tears right then and there.

Santana is still studying his face but there is much gentler aspect to her gaze than usually.

"I'm sorry for riling him up so much before," she says quietly, so that only Kurt can hear her. "He said something about Brittany and Quinn and me that I just couldn't let go uncommented."

Kurt gulps and nods but doesn't reply. Santana pats his knee before turning back around. Kurt catches Mercedes' eye but just as she is about to say something, Puck enters the room.

"'sup, everyone?" he says casually and comes to a sudden stop when he notices everyone's eyes on him. "Uh… something wrong?"

"You're late to the spectacle," Artie tells him.

"Oh, what'd I miss?" Puck asks while slumping down into a chair next to Artie, clearly not registering some of the raised eyebrows and incredulous looks his words earned.

"Don't tell me you haven't heard yet," Rachel says in a clipped voice. She still looks worried but Kurt can see a distinct

"Heard what?"

Kurt can hear Quinn groan behind him.

"Finn knows, Puck," she says exasperatingly, and Puck spins around in his chair with wide eyes.

"How?"

Quinn gets up and walks over to his chair to show him her phone.

"Drunk texting in the middle of the night yesterday… ring a bell?" she asks, sounding almost bored to an unaware listener. Kurt knows better – Quinn is pissed beyond words. Her one condition was to be able to figure out her own pace, to be the one to deliver the message to Finn once she felt safe enough to do so. Puck's drunken shenanigans robbed her of that option.

"Oh, fuck," Puck breathes out when he's finished reading.

"You're lucky he hasn't set eyes on you yet," Quinn tells him. "I figured you were a dead man by now."

Puck looks up at her. "Sorry, Quinn, I swear I didn't mean to."

"A lot of things weren't meant to happen, were they?" Quinn scoffs with a cocked eyebrow.

Puck seems at a loss of words. Instead of answering, he just gets up from his chair and leaves the room. Quinn visibly follows his movements before collecting herself and retreating back to her seat with an unreadable face.

* * *

"Come on, guys, I know you're tired, but we need to run it from the top," Mr. Schue tells them half an hour into rehearsal.

Most of them are slouched in their chairs. After the initial chaos in the choir room, nobody is in the mood to sing happy songs about their lives and dreams. Had he witnessed the Finn debacle earlier, Mr. Schue might have dismissed Glee club completely. But he came in moments after Puck left, so rehearsal started as usual.

Blaine had taken Kurt's hand during warm-ups and shot him a little encouraging close-lipped smile. It wasn't much and it didn't make Kurt forget all about Finn, but it did fill his belly with a warm, fuzzy feeling that lifted his mood a little. He had squeezed Blaine's hand back thankfully.

Half an hour later, his mood is back down. They are so out of tune that not even Mr. Schue can find any positive words about their sound as a group. Santana and Rachel take care of the negative feedback, as usual, which seems to render the group even less motivated.

Mr. Schue is going over all of their individual voice parts for the group number, which gives Kurt some time to talk to Blaine in a hushed voice.

"You know I'm not trying to… just get laid, right?" he asks, biting his lip worriedly.

Blaine's eyes widen as he turns in his chair to face him. "Kurt, of course I know that."

Kurt lets out a long breath. "Good."

Blaine smiles at him, one of those crinkling smiles that make Kurt's knees turn to jelly.

It looks like Blaine is about to say something else when Finn suddenly comes back into the choir room, sporting a dark bruise on his cheek. Some of them gasp and get Mr. Schue's attention. When he turns to Finn, his face turns more stern than usual.

"Finn, where have you been?" he asks. "And what happened to your face?"

Finn just shrugs and heads over to one of the nearest chairs, not looking at any of their faces.

Kurt has a feeling Puck will be showing up with a black eye at school tomorrow.

Mr. Schue seems to have enough for the day. "Guys, your morale has been slipping," he says. "We need to be focused for regionals. We haven't even practiced our solos yet. So, we have Finn's solo-"

Finn gets back up immediately but Mr. Schue holds up a hand. "No, Finn," he says. "You are going to the school nurse."

"Mr. Schue, I'm fi-" Finn starts.

"Finn, I said you're going," Mr. Schue interrupts sharply. "You came in late, you came in injured – there is no way I can let this pass unnoticed."

"What about the solo?" Finn asks.

Mr. Schue seems hesitant, but another look at Finn's face makes him turn away to face the rest of the group. His eyes land on Blaine.

"Blaine is going to sing the lead on _Jesse's Girl_."

Surprised, Blaine asks, "Me?"

Kurt sees Santana rolling her eyes. She refrains from saying anything, and that's really saying something, about how much she has come to like Blaine, considering the tantrum she threw the first time Blaine had gotten a solo – just a week after he had joined the club. Kurt worries his bottom lip between his teeth, sparing a glance at Finn. His brother is frowning at Mr. Schue.

There are some people in Glee club who get more solos than others. It's not a secret that Mr. Schue plays favorites. It's usually Rachel, sometimes paired with Finn. Mercedes, Artie and Santana get the occasional extra parts. Rory is doing well and is getting more parts.

But some of them are neglected. Kurt would know. He would have loved to get the lead on _Somewhere Only We Know_ for Sectionals but Mr. Schue had given the solo to Blaine without even holding auditions for the piece.

One look at Finn tells him that he is not used to being one of the neglected voices.

Mr. Schue nods at Blaine. "It fits your voice and I know you can handle it."

"O-okay," Blaine says slowly. "Uh, thanks."

"Great," Mr. Schue says. "Okay, let's practice."

Blaine walks over to the piano. Mr. Schue turns to Finn, whose scowl makes the bruise on his face look even worse.

"Finn, school nurse – now," Mr. Schue insists.

Finn gets up reluctantly and throws Blaine a dark look when he leaves the room. Kurt shares a worried look with Quinn. Blaine looks nervous.

Blaine sounds a bit hesitant the first time he tries, still obviously shaken by Finn's reaction, but he gets more confident by the minute. He sounds incredible once he gets the hang of it.

Mr. Schue perks up. "Okay, guys, amazing progress!" he says. "Once more, from the top!"

* * *

Carole makes a big fuss about the bruise on Finn's cheek and Burt looks incredibly stern, but not a single question they ask manages to elicit an answer from Finn. Kurt only catches a glimpse of Finn before he dashes out of the room in an attempt to avoid any more confrontations like the one in Glee club.

He goes over to Rachel's house that evening, needing a break from his homework and the gloomy silence in his bedroom. He's never liked the pink sheets and the odd decorations in Rachel's room but they feel like a welcome distraction on that particular day. And Rachel, however distressed she might be over the situation with Finn, doesn't fail to make him focus on something else entirely, for example on the new musical movie they need to watch or whether there is a particular dress code for their auditions for NYADA.

"Don't you think going in full costume is a bit… much?" Kurt asks as Rachel is pulling out random items from her wardrobe to put together a costume for her various audition ideas.

"But it shows dedication," Rachel protests with a pout.

Kurt sits up on her bed and crosses his legs. "I think it distracts from what you're really there to show – raw talent. I'd rather go with some simple yet elegant."

"A costume might help you to stay in character, though," Rachel counters.

"True. But I'm not sure if it'll impress the scouts."

"Who do you think will be there?" Rachel breathes out excitedly. "I've heard great things about Carmen Tibideaux but I believe she might be too important to head out to some random auditions in the Mid-West, don't you think? I hope they don't send upper classmen. They might be too inexperienced to appreciate the true talent of-"

"Rachel, calm down, we haven't even gotten our letters yet," Kurt says with a laugh.

"I don't need a letter to know that I belong at that school," Rachel says confidently, and Kurt envies her instantly. She sees NYADA as an inevitability, he still considers it a distant hope.

He doesn't voice his concerns and diverts the attention to the pile of Rachel's costume ideas instead, rubbing the material of some selected items between his thumb and his forefinger, nodding at some and mumblings words of disapproval for others. It's how they spend the rest of their evening together, going through stacks of _maybe_ and _definitely not_ and, in one particular case, _Rachel, your great-great-grandmother wouldn't have worn this, what even is that?_ They have fun, but there's a constant nagging feeling in the back of Kurt's mind, reminding him of all the doubts about NYADA and the guilt concerning Finn.

* * *

He tries to talk to his brother that night. He knocks on Finn's bedroom door and sits down next to it when it doesn't open.

"Finn," he says. "I know you don't want to talk to me but… just hear me out, okay? I didn't mean to keep it from you but I couldn't just tell you, either. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you, I just thought that you shouldn't hear it from me. It should have come from Quinn herself and she promised me it would, once she was for Blaine, I know you think there is some weird power play going on, but I really do like him and I'm not dating him out of spite or anything. So… I'm really sorry for what I did, or, well, didn't do, but I can't apologize for anything else."

No answer. He waits in silence for ten minutes, listening to any sort of reaction from inside the room, before he gives up and retreats to his own bedroom, falling onto the mattress face first with a groan.

He stays like that until his phone starts ringing. He flops onto his back, grabbing his phone from the nightstand. It's Blaine.

"Hi," Kurt mumbles when he takes the call.

"Hey." Blaine's voice is quiet but comforting. "I thought you might need a friendly ear tonight."

Kurt nods before remembering that Blaine can't actually see him. He settles into bed properly, drawing the blanket up to his chest and pressing his head into the fluffy pillow. He turns his phone on speaker, putting it next to his head.

"Yes," he says, "that is probably accurate."

"Did you talk to Finn?"

"Yes." Kurt pauses. "Well… I talked, he might have listened. Who knows?" He sighs. "He didn't come out of his room."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Blaine asks. "Or do you want a distraction?"

"I think I can't actually talk about it more than I already have," Kurt admits. "There is not much left to say."

"So… distraction?"

"Yes, please."

"Any requests?"

Kurt closes his eyes. "Sing for me?" he prompts softly.

"Sure. Anything in particular?"

"Uh." Kurt bites his lip into a smile. "I've heard your sister say that _Teenage Dream_ is your specialty."

"Oh," Blaine says with a chuckle. "I do know all the words to that one."

"Then it's decided."

"Alright, bossy." There is some rustling on the other line. Kurt assumes Blaine is finding the right position to sing in until he hears Blaine pressing a few keys on the piano experimentally.

"Wow, is this going to be super professional with the piano and all?" he lets himself comment before he blurts out something stupid (well, stupid _er_ ). He is having a bit of a hard time grasping the concept of having a boyfriend who not only calls him because he already knows something is wrong but also sings and plays the piano for him to cheer him up.

Blaine's voice is a bit shy when he answers, and Kurt likes to think that Blaine is blushing. "Well, I thought it might sound better with the accompaniment."

"Not complaining," Kurt lets him know. "On the contrary, I'm swooning a bit."

"At least wait until you hear the song," Blaine protests a little weakly, and now he is most definitely blushing.

"Listening," Kurt whispers.

As soon as Blaine starts, from the very first strum of the keys, Kurt is a goner. The smooth voice coming through the speakers is transforming the tacky song Kurt has heard on the radio into a soft ballad. If it sounds this good over the phone, Kurt can't begin to imagine what it must sound like live.

His heart is starting to beat rapidly in his chest, and it's not just because Blaine singing about going all the way and skin tight jeans is making him shiver very pleasantly. It's also because Blaine's voice is so soft and emotional, conveying clarity and hesitance at the same time, like there is more to the lyrics than what meets the eye.

And it's not entirely audible over the phone but Kurt also doesn't think it's only in his mind that he hears Blaine's breath hitch on every "no regrets, just love".

Or maybe it his own.

Love… he can't quite shake the thought off once he allows himself to think it. Is it too fast? Too early?

His head is reeling by the time Blaine ends the song on a quiet, almost mumbled "tonight".

"You still there?" Blaine whispers when Kurt doesn't quite manage to say anything.

Kurt forces himself to focus. "Yes," he breathes out. "Blaine, that was… I- wow, I think I need to catch my breath."

"Is that a good reaction?" Blaine chuckles a little self-consciously. "I can't tell."

"Very good," Kurt informs him. "The best. I'm kind of speechless."

"Thanks," Blaine murmurs, and really, does his voice always sound this pleasant? Kurt almost finds himself purring.

He realizes he is lost for words again and it could technically get really awkward if it wasn't Blaine he was talking to. But it _is_ Blaine. And Blaine always knows what to say.

Or interrupting a romantic setting with impromptu sass.

"You realize you just asked me to serenade you with a Katy Perry song?"

Kurt groans. "Who said anything about serenading?" he tries, probably in vain. "I just wanted a song."

Sure enough, Blaine counters, "Sung to you specifically. By your boyfriend. I'm pretty sure this counts as serenading."

"Fine, you win. I wanted you to serenade me with a Katy Perry song." Kurt fakes exasperation but finds himself grinning at his own words. It's actually not that bad on the losing end of this particular deal.

"Yay!" Blaine exclaims around a stifled yawn.

"Oh god, it's super late," Kurt realizes with a glance at his alarm clock. "You're tired, I'm keeping you up."

"No big deal," Blaine says. His voice does sound a bit sleepy, though. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"And I am," Kurt says. If he wasn't before, he definitely is now.

"Mission a- huh, accomplished."

"Blaine?"

"Mh-hm?"

"Are you falling asleep on your piano?"

There's a pause.

"No?"

"Uh-huh," Kurt says with a smile. "Go to sleep, Blaine."

It takes a while for Blaine to walk to his bed, and Kurt imagines him taking slow, shuffling steps. Kurt's belly gives a few happy swoops at the visual.

They decide to stay on the phone while getting ready for bed, both brushing their teeth at the same time. Blaine hums adorably every now and then, or tries to tell Kurt something even though his mouth is filled with tooth paste and it comes out as gibberish. Kurt scrunches his nose with a happy smile.

He shakes his head at himself in the mirror.

His day is a crazy roller coaster ride with all the ups and downs coming and going so suddenly. This right now, trying not to spit out his tooth paste in delight at Blaine's sleepy shenanigans, is the highest he's been today.

* * *

The next day is worse. Puck does have a black eye and a few freshmen risk one as well when they cross Finn's path and spare him a particularly interested look. From what Artie tells everyone at lunch, they barely managed to escape without so much as a scratch. Kurt has already decided to skip Econ again, just to be sure, when word gets around that Finn got a suspension for the remainder of the week. He goes through the rest of the day numbly, barely mumbling the lyrics to the background harmonies in Glee club and almost letting one of the cheerleaders fall to the ground during Cheerios practice. He doesn't even feel anything when Coach Sylvester yells at him for the better part of five minutes, Blaine, Quinn and Santana cringing on his behalf since he doesn't seem to be able to give a fuck.

He stops by Finn's room again in the evening to apologize. Finn does come out of his room this time but only to tell him to go away and fuck himself. Kurt is so shocked that he only manages to nod before he flees from the hallway and locks himself in his room. Blinking back tears, he grabs his phone from his desk and opens his messaging app.

 _Please tell me you are free to watch a movie with me. – K_

 _Yes. Give me an hour and I'll be there. Should I bring snacks? – B_

 _Not here. I need to get away for a while. – K_

 _Right. Wanna go to the movies instead? – B_

 _Can it be a date? – K_

 _Of course it is. It's always a date with you, Kurt. – B_

Kurt looks down at his phone, biting his lip. A sudden warm feeling spreads all over his body, and his heart is thudding in a strange, off-beat rhythm. He thinks of a million things to text back but he comes up short. Except for…

 _I love you_ , he types, and then deletes the words in a shorter time than it took for him to spell them out in the first place. _No regrets, just love,_ Blaine's voice rings in his head.

Kurt thinks of Blaine's smile and the way he bounces when he is excited about something they have planned. He thinks of the way he almost always zones out completely when Blaine is about to kiss him and of that one time when Blaine couldn't stop laughing at Kurt's joke and spat out his coffee in surprise (it should have been disgusting, but it really, really wasn't).

He thinks of their phone conversation the night before.

He thinks of all of the times Blaine has made him smile, and he just… knows. He is in love. With Blaine. Kurt is in love with Blaine.

But he can't say it yet, can he? And certainly not over text.

He settles for something simpler.

 _I like that. Date it is, then. – K_

 _I like that, too. – B_

* * *

Kurt momentarily forgets the way Finn was scowling at him when they ran into each other in the hallway while Kurt was getting ready because Blaine is looking devastatingly handsome in tight brown pants, a simple white button-up shirt, and a charming smile.

"I saved us two seats," Blaine says in lieu of a greeting, holding out two movie tickets in front of him.

Kurt leans in for a quick kiss. "I doubt that they are going to sell out," he replies.

"I know, but I checked online, and they're giving out free popcorn for everyone who buys tickets in advance."

Kurt raises an eyebrow at Blaine, who ducks his head with a bashful chuckle. "Yes, I know we agreed on getting cheesecake afterwards, and I promise that's not off the table. We're getting both. Satisfied?"

Kurt laughs. "Very," he says, loops his arm around Blaine's and starts walking to the car. "As long as there's cheesecake."

Blaine pouts. "You're just dating me for the cheesecake part of the evening."

There it is again. _The_ feeling. Kurt shakes it off for now.

"Don't be ridiculous," he says. "I can eat cheesecake all by myself. You know what I can't do, though? Make out with myself in the car after an amazing date with my boyfriend."

"That actually sounds kind of hot," Blaine says with a grin. "Maybe I should clone you and watch."

Kurt squints his eyes. "I can't tell whether you're serious or not."

"Kurt, there'd be two of you. Of course I'm serious."

 _I love you._

"You're such a pervert, Blaine. Get in the car before we miss the movie."

"Yes, Kurt number 1," Blaine says obediently, and ducks away to the other side of the car before Kurt can shove him for being such an adorable, _loveable_ nerd.

* * *

They're halfway through the movie when the distraction stops working.

Having Blaine's fingers intertwined with his is undoubtedly nice but no matter how much his skin is tingling, or how interesting the movie is, Finn's words ("Just go away and fuck yourself!") are replaying over and over in his head and he can't stop thinking about how hurt someone like Finn must be to muster up that much hatred. He really screwed up with this whole thing, and still he feels like there was nothing he could do.

Blaine squeezes his hand, and when Kurt doesn't react, he leans in close.

"Kurt, is-" he starts, and stops abruptly when he takes a closer look at Kurt. "Are you crying?"

Kurt ends up doing a mixture between a nod and a headshake.

"It's not because of the movie, is it?" Blaine mutters.

"No," Kurt breathes out. It comes out shaky.

Blaine gets up and wordlessly reaches for Kurt's other hand, too. It's good that they got tickets for the last row, so they don't really disturb anyone when they get up and leave the screening room. They cross the main hall in silence and head straight to the parking lot. As soon as they reach Blaine's car, Blaine pulls Kurt close and engulfs him in a big hug, stroking his hair and muttering words of comfort while Kurt's cries get louder.

"It's okay," Blaine mumbles into Kurt's hair. "I'm here, cry as much as you need."

Kurt sniffs. "I feel so bad about Finn," he croaks. "I can't stop thinking about his face when he asked me if I knew."

Blaine tightens the embrace. "I know, Kurt, I know," he whispers. "I feel guilty, too."

"But he's my brother," Kurt whispers back, leaning back to look Blaine in the eyes. "I just don't know how to make it right."

Blaine kisses him and doesn't seem to mind that Kurt tastes like salty tears. It makes Kurt love him a little bit more.

"You had good reasons not to say anything," Blaine assures him. "You found out against your will and you didn't feel like you had the right to be the one to break it to him. None of this is on you directly. You just happened to be in the line of fire."

Kurt nods wordlessly. He knows Blaine's words to be true, at least to a certain extent. After all, those arguments were exactly what kept him on the fence about blabbing. He just can't bring himself to fully endorse what he did.

"You're amazing, okay?" Blaine tells him. "You are kind and lovely and smart and so, so compassionate, Kurt. Everyone makes mistakes. You're allowed to be human every now and then, you know?"

The words are piercing Kurt's heart with a force he can't fully comprehend. He feels shaky and exhausted and leans back into Blaine's embrace.

"You're wonderful and Finn knows that, too, deep down," Blaine promises.

Even though he won't say it just yet, Kurt presses his face into Blaine's shoulder and mouths "I love you" against the material of his jacket, if only just to feel like he is practicing for the real deal.

* * *

Blaine's words are getting Kurt through most days but whichever angle he regards the issue from, the fact remains that Finn hasn't said more than three words to him in two weeks. Kurt is starting to have trouble getting behind the whole "time heals all wounds" deal. Everyone who had some kind of knowledge in the whole thing is getting the silent treatment, too, even Rachel.

However, while Kurt knows that Rachel is miserable, just like the rest of them, she is being uncharacteristically sophisticated about it.

"He'll be fine," she says with conviction whenever Kurt brings it up. Whether it's just a mantra to feel better or something she really believes in, Kurt isn't sure.

Blaine asks Kurt how Finn is doing a lot, but his priority, obviously, is Quinn. Any minute he doesn't spend with Kurt, he spends with his sister. Mercedes even jokes that she feels like Blaine is _her_ boyfriend now that he stops by so often.

Mercedes and Quinn have struck up a pretty adorable friendship, sticking their heads together and giggling during lunch time, and uploading funny pictures of the two of them on Instagram almost every night. Sometimes, Blaine gets to guest star on their Instagram accounts, usually doing funny faces with Mercedes or hugging his sister tight and kissing her cheek.

Kurt would feel much better if he could help his own brother out the way Blaine is being there for Quinn. But Finn stays stubborn and Kurt more and more feels like he deserves it.

Finn starts having angry days like that first one. There are times when he just stays silent, not saying a word, but eventually, everyone starts tip-toeing around issues like they are all walking on eggshells because Finn blows up without any preamble once during dinner and almost knocks over the entire table.

Quinn, on the other hand, seems to be getting better each day. Kurt can see how the toxic pressure that constant lying and sneaking around put her under is lifting progressively. Maybe she did love Finn, and maybe Finn really did love her as well, but it is clear that she meant it when she said that they weren't happy together.

* * *

It's one of Finn's sensitive days when Blaine skips Glee club. Finn isn't there, either, but that doesn't surprise anyone. He hasn't had the best track record ever since he broke up with Quinn, skipping whenever it pleases him and sulking whenever he does show up. Blaine, on the other hand, never misses class. Ever. Even Rachel misses class on occasion, when Glee club is more important or she is having a dramatic day. But Blaine – Blaine doesn't even stay home sick. He would drag himself to school with a cough so bad it would make a smoker's lung look like peanuts.

So Kurt knows something's up.

He calls Blaine, but it goes straight to voicemail. Same with Finn – not that Kurt counted on him picking up. Quinn tries to reach Blaine, too, but to no avail. Frustrated, Kurt sends Blaine a message.

 _What's up? Where are you? – K_

Blaine doesn't answer until Glee club is over. Kurt is so worried by the time his phone finally vibrates with an incoming message that he types in his number code wrong twice before successfully unlocking his phone.

 _Parking lot. I drove around town for a while. – B_

 _Can I meet you there? – K_

 _Yes. – B_

He finds Blaine sitting in his car, bowtie askew and crumpled, and eyes bloodshot.

"What's going on?" Kurt says gently once he gets in the car as well and shuts the door.

"F-Finn hates me," Blaine mumbles, and it's very clear he has been crying for some time because he is still hiccupping between little dry sobs.

Kurt is confused. "What?" he asks with a frown.

Blaine takes a deep breath, looking down at his lap, clearly not ready to look at Kurt yet.

"Sam… Sam told me that Finn had talked about me in football p-practice yesterday, how I'm taking all of his s-solos in Glee club a-and always thinking about m-myself," Blaine mumbles, hiccups still tearing through his body everyone now and then. Kurt suddenly remembers the grueling look Finn had gotten when Mr. Schue announced Blaine's new solo yesterday. "And then he almost knocked me o-over in the hallway after lunch today and told me I was always in the way."

Kurt wants to say something already, most of all how all of that is jealous nonsense and that Finn is just having one of his off days, but he knows it will be better to let Blaine finish first.

Blaine swallows. "So I confronted him in gym class. Asked him what his problem was. He told me that it's going to be my fault if you don't make it out of Lima. Because… because I take everything."

Kurt frowns. "What does that even mean?"

Blaine huffs. "It means I'm selfish. I sweep in and take what other people should get, leadership roles, parts in a play, solos for sectionals…" Blaine trails off but the selection of offered examples is enough to make Kurt's insides freeze.

"Your words or Finn's?" he asks apprehensively.

"Mine," Blaine says but shakes his head right after. "Might as well be Finn's, though, he said as much. I assume he'd agree with those… How could he not?"

"Blaine," Kurt whispers, shell-shocked at how serious Blaine seems to take Finn's accusations. "You know that it isn't true, right?"

"Maybe it is," Blaine says sadly. "I could just refuse the solos. Give them to you."

"Come on, Blaine, refusing a solo won't magically make it mine," Kurt says with a small laugh, even though the situation isn't particularly funny. "Mr. Schue never gave me solos even before you joined Glee club. Hell, Tina will get a competition solo before I do and we all know that day is far, _far_ in the future."

"I know." Blaine sighs. "But it's about the gesture, too, isn't it? Like what you did for Quinn when you refused to be co-captain of the Cheerios."

"Like you gave that president title to Brittany and Rick just because you didn't want it if I couldn't have it?" Kurt asks pointedly and leans over to press a kiss to Blaine's cheek.

Kurt nuzzles Blaine's hairline, ignoring how uncomfortable he feels with his body hanging over the gearshift, and waits for an answer.

"I could have stepped down as well when Coach Sylvester threw Quinn off the position," Blaine mumbles.

Kurt leans back into his seat but twists his body so that he can fully face Blaine, and reasons with him, "Blaine, you already put Cheerios co-captain on your application as an extracurricular achievement. It would have reflected very badly on your candidacy if you had stepped down the day after the application was due."

Blaine twists his fingers. "Doesn't matter now," he mumbles.

"What are you talking about, of course it matters!" Kurt exclaims. "You're ridiculously generous, Blaine, I've told you that more than once. And that's great! But you need to take care of yourself too."

Blaine doesn't answer, leaving Kurt to sigh and reaching over again to take one of Blaine's hands. He plays with the slightly rigid fingers for a while and wonders what to say next.

"Finn doesn't have a clue what he's talking about," he settles on finally. "He's just blowing up because of Quinn. He's trying to get to you because you're close to her _and_ me. He wants to make Quinn and me miserable by hurting you."

"He didn't mention Quinn," Blaine counters, leaning into Kurt's touch with a bit of a sniffle.

Kurt huffs. "Of course he didn't," he says. "He's trying to forget about her. But he's upset that everyone knew but him… especially that _I_ knew and didn't tell him, and he's taking it out on you because he knows it will hurt me, or even drive a wedge between us."

Blaine stays silent. Kurt sighs again.

"Look, Blaine, of course Finn is mad at all of us in one way or another. He thought he was going to be a father. Almost _everyone_ else knew it was just a lie. His best friend is the one who is going to be a father instead. And his own brother is dating the brother of his cheating ex-girlfriend. I can see where he is coming from." Kurt pauses to kiss Blaine's hand. "But now? Now he's just getting upset over things that have nothing to do with it because he is desperately trying to stay furious at _something_ and intentionally hurt the people he is furious with. And frankly, I am going to kick his ass for making you cry."

"Kurt," Blaine says, almost warningly.

"What?" Kurt retorts. "I'll have to aim high to reach his ass, but I can always just kick the back of his knee."

Blaine lets out a cry-laugh. "I don't deserve you."

"Oh, yes, you do," Kurt says. "And I deserve you. We deserve each other. Okay?"

Blaine studies Kurt's face for a while. "Kurt, I-" he starts, shaking his head suddenly and wiping some remaining tears off his face. "Okay."

Kurt smiles and pats Blaine's knee. "Come on, get out of that seat, I'll drive you home."

He checks his phone and finds about ten mildly panicked messages from Quinn saying that Blaine is still not returning any of her calls. He sends a quick text to Quinn to let her know that he is taking Blaine home. Then they change seats, Kurt not trusting Blaine to be able to drive in his state. He hums quietly to give Blaine something to calm down. Blaine stops crying but he doesn't say anything, either.

When Kurt pulls into the Anderson-Fabray driveway, Blaine's breathing has gone a little uneven again. Kurt doesn't know what to do or what to expect so he just parks the car and waits for Blaine to speak.

"I have to tell you something," Blaine says miserably.

"Anything," Kurt replies confidently, even though he is worried immensely when Blaine's face crumples before his eyes.

"Earlier, when I skipped Glee club, I…" Blaine says, staring at the dashboard in front of him. "I was so worried that I really was selfish, like Finn said, and that you would resent me forever, if…"

"If…?" Kurt prompts, holding his breath a little.

Blaine turns to look at him. "I did something stupid, Kurt."

"What?" Kurt asks.

"I… I withdrew my application for NYADA."


	6. When They Do I'll Be Right Behind You

_**A/N: Your guys' support means the world to me, seriously. Sorry I couldn't take the time to answer each review individually, I didn't have much time this week. But your responses are very much appreciated, I love you all!**_

* * *

 **\- When They Do I'll Be Right Behind You -**

Kurt manages to suppress his rage until he's back at his own house. But then? There's no holding back.

"Who the _fuck_ do you think you are, Finn Hudson?!" Kurt hollers when he sets foot into Finn's bedroom, causing Finn to spin around in his desk chair in shock over being yelled at all of a sudden. "Telling Blaine he's taking everything for himself when all he ever thinks about are others? Did you know that he took that cheerleading co-captain position to help Quinn stay on the team? Was your brain shut off the day we watched him refuse his fair win in the senior class president election? Huh? Do you even have any idea what you have done? He withdrew his application for the school he's the perfect candidate for, he fucking _withdrew_!"

Finn had been looking like he's about to fire back with all he has but at the mention of Blaine's application withdrawal, his head suddenly snaps up, his eyes wide. It's the most _Finn_ he has looked in weeks, and if Kurt wasn't so mad, he'd probably be glad to see the human behind the monster façade.

"Why would he do that?" Finn asks, obviously dumbstruck.

"Because you treated him like crap, Finn, that's why!" Kurt exclaims. "Because he thought it was selfish of him to try out for a good school just because two of his friends were going to audition for the same program and he had a better shot at it!"

"Wait, so he withdrew so you could get in?" Finn tries to clarify, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes," Kurt grits out. "And guess who planted that thought in his brain, huh? It was _you_!"

Finn growls and gets up from his chair. "I probably did you a favor," he says angrily. "He obviously thinks he's better than you! He thinks that _you_ don't stand a chance as long as _he_ isn't out for good!"

Kurt closes his eyes and thinks of how he reacted to Blaine's "solution" himself an hour earlier.

" _You did what?" Kurt had asked in complete shock._

" _I withdrew," Blaine had repeated, looking close to tears again._

" _But… why?"_

" _I… I just couldn't stand the thought that I'd be taking that NYADA spot from you, too."_

 _That's when Kurt had gotten irritated. "What the fuck, Blaine?" he had exclaimed. "You think you'd be the reason they wouldn't let me in? Do you actually think you're so good they will take one look at me and decide, 'Meh, he's nothing compared to that Blaine guy,' or what?"_

 _Blaine had looked at him in shock for a second. "No, Kurt, no, no, no, no, no," he had then muttered quickly. "That's the opposite of what I think! Please, you have to know that."_

 _Kurt had taken a deep breath and forced himself not to get aggravated. "What do you think then?"_

" _I think you're amazing and that you deserve NYADA more than anyone," Blaine had said, big earnest eyes making it clear that he wasn't lying. "But you were so worried about the extracurriculars… I couldn't stand the thought of them rejecting you just because your résumé is shorter than mine or Rachel's. I'm not saying you won't get in… if the scouts have at least half a brain, they'll see how talented you are and offer you a spot right away, extracurriculars or not." He had turned to Kurt with pleading eyes. "I believe in you so much, I need you to know that, Kurt."_

 _By the end of it, Kurt had shivered. "Alright, I get it," he had replied with an embarrassed laugh. His smile had turned sour, though. "So you withdrew because you'd reduce the number of candidates and you thought that would make it easier for me to get in without an abundance of extracurriculars?"_

"… _yes."_

Kurt opens his eyes and steps closer to Finn.

"Blaine didn't do it because he thought I didn't stand a chance," he says. "He did it because my extracurricular activities weren't enough of a safety net like they were for him and Rachel."

"Whatever," Finn snaps. "If he withdrew his application, that's his fault, not mine."

"He would have never broken down like that if you hadn't told him that he took everything from people, especially from me!" Kurt bites back. "You knew I was worried about my application! And you took advantage of it when you said those things to Blaine! You _knew_ he was going to be devastated, Finn, so don't even try to deny it!"

Finn doesn't say anything, and it's as good an answer as any. Kurt takes another step towards his brother and fills the silence with words he's been waiting so say to Finn for a while.

"You hurt Blaine because he is a tie to both Quinn and me," he says slowly, voice filled with venom, "and we're the ones you're really angry at. You just love us too much to hurt us directly." He pauses and balls his fists in anger before he adds, "Guess what? It worked! Blaine is hurt. And that's hurting me. So, congratulations."

"Kurt, I-"

"Let me talk, Finn," Kurt interrupts. "You threatened Blaine that you'd blame him if I didn't make it out of Lima. You know what? If _he_ doesn't make it out of here, I'm going to blame _you_. Because he might have done it on his own terms, but you can't tell me that you didn't have ulterior motives when you said that stuff to him."

Finn looks down at his feet in silence.

"And don't think for a second that I don't know the real reason for your sudden outburst. Anyone with eyes could see how jealous you were of Blaine when he got your solo," Kurt continues, working himself up into a frenzy but too far gone to care. "You could have hurt anyone in that Glee club. But you chose Blaine. All because of some stupid song that he only gets to sing because you didn't bother to show up on time."

Kurt shakes his head at his brother and leaves the room, his heart beating in a rapid, enraged rhythm.

He's almost at his door when Finn comes after him and stops him with a hand on his shoulder.

"I just felt like such an idiot," he whispers. "Everyone knew about Quinn's baby except me and everyone is applying for schools and has plans while my life is just falling to pieces."

"Boo-hoo," Kurt says tiredly. "That doesn't make it okay for you to go around telling people it's their fault that you can't get your life together."

Finn stays silent again.

"It's not a game of who can hurt whom the most," Kurt adds. "And ruining someone else's future is not going to make yours look any brighter."

Finn looks like he still is at a loss for words, jaw set and stoic gaze cast onto the floor. Kurt sighs and, instead of opening the door to his room, he leaves the house, deciding to take a walk. He's still mad, but he's said his piece. He just tended to a very broken Blaine for the better half of an hour, promising to look for plan B and C and the whole alphabet together, if they had to, all the while reassuring him over and over again that they were fine, that Kurt wasn't mad at him for stealing solos, or leading roles, or dumb titles Kurt never really cared about in the first place.

" _Blaine, what am I going to do with you?" Kurt had asked, exasperated. "You can't just throw away your future for mine, that's not how it works!"_

" _I wanted to fix it… it was the only way I could think of," Blaine had muttered dejectedly and Kurt hadn't known how to respond other than to move in and hug his boyfriend._

The thing about Blaine is, Kurt realizes now that he's out on the street and breathing fresh air to stimulate his mind, is that he is not just nice, or generous. Blaine tries so hard to please everyone, so much so that he didn't even mind Santana calling him names when she learned about his promotion to co-captain, and that he rejected the outcome of an election that he won fair and square, and that he actually believed Finn when he told him that getting into NYADA meant that he was selfishly leaving others behind. Blaine doesn't fight back, and instead just finds a way to somehow fix it, not caring about how much he is letting himself down in the process.

And maybe, Kurt thinks with a tight throat, maybe Blaine was just as much in need of a friendly ear as Kurt the other day when they talked on the phone. The difference being that Kurt hadn't even given it much thought. He was so glad for the distraction Blaine provided that he didn't even ask him if he needed one himself.

Kurt wishes he could go back in time and force himself to pay attention, to connect the dots earlier. Why does he always have to be so wrapped up in his own problems?

He ends up walking all the way to Blaine's house, calling him as soon as he's in the right street.

"What are you doing here?" Blaine asks as soon as he steps out of his house and accepts Kurt's invitation to walk with him.

"We need to talk," Kurt says.

Blaine looks nervous and Kurt is quick to assure him, "No, not like that. Just… I need to get a few things off my chest, okay?"

Blaine nods and walks alongside Kurt, pressing his hands into the pockets of his coat. It's the end of November and even though it's not currently snowing, the wind is somewhat icy and biting.

"I need you to promise me something, Blaine," Kurt says after a while.

"Okay?"

"You can never, ever, compromise your own happiness for mine," Kurt says with urgency. "Please, Blaine, promise you won't do something like that again."

Blaine frowns. "I can't-"

"Yes, you can," Kurt insists desperately. "Blaine, what if we break up someday? What if we break up and you never even tried to get into NYADA and you're working a boring 9-5 job and you think to yourself, 'Wow, I was so stupid, giving up my dream school for that boy who I dated my senior year. What was his name again?'" He ignores Blaine's noises of protest and continues, "I can't let you do that to yourself. You need to put yourself first sometimes."

"Well, according to some people, that's what I do all the time," Blaine counters and Kurt immediately takes both of his hands in his own.

"Don't let anyone's jealousy dictate your life, Blaine," he says, leaning close and staring Blaine down with what he hopes is a friendly yet stern look à la Burt Hummel. "Never compromise, you get me? Their failure does not devaluate your success. You can't please everyone."

Blaine nods, keeping eye contact. "I know."

"You do?"

"I don't know. It's just… I don't think it's that simple."

Blaine looks like he wants to say more but doesn't know where to start. Kurt steers them over to a bench on a deserted playground. With their hands still linked, he sits down and looks up at Blaine.

"I'm all ears," he offers with a nod to the empty seat next to him.

Blaine draws a shaky breath and sits down. He pulls his hands out of Kurt's grasp and twists them in his lap instead, looking thoughtful.

"I just wantpeople to like me," Blaine starts after a while. "I know I can't please everyone but just the thought of someone hating me… it drives me crazy."

"Nobody hates you, Blaine," Kurt says softly. "Finn didn't-"

"It's not just Finn," Blaine interrupts. "My father, my biological one, I mean – we didn't get along well. He wanted Coop and me to play football with him, and to fix cars, and to be… I don't know-"

"More like him?" Kurt prompts.

"Maybe," Blaine says quietly. "As long as it wasn't the person I actually felt like being."

Kurt bites his lip. What does one even say to something like that? _Been there?_ Not really. Sure, he has a faint grasp of what Blaine must be going through – he felt like his dad wanted him to be a star football player and _not_ gay, but it has been two years since then and his dad doesn't waste a second to tell Kurt that he loves him for who he is and that he should never stop being himself.

Blaine sighs, and continues, "He even had his problems with Cooper. I think he didn't want him to become an actor, you know, he thinks it isn't a real job."

"What did Cooper do?"

"They fought a lot.

Kurt hums. "Well, at least you two had each other."

Blaine shakes his head. "Not really. He wasn't easy on me, either. He's always on my back about improving my acting techniques and whatnot."

"Oh," Kurt says, surprised. "I thought you two were close."

Blaine had talked about Cooper before and he had always assumed the relationship between the two would be similar to Quinn and Blaine's.

"It's complicated," Blaine says. "I love him. And he loves me, too. I guess that's what's most important."

Kurt shuffles closer and leans his head against Blaine's shoulder. For a moment, he's afraid it will send the wrong signal – that the talking part is over – but thankfully Blaine seems to get that he meant it as an encouragement, and keeps talking.

"Anyway, I don't see him that often, so it's fine."

"Do you talk to your dad sometimes?"

"No." Blaine lets out a hollow laugh. "Not a chance in hell."

"And… your step-dad?" Kurt asks, not entirely sure if he should press the subject as much as he is but not knowing what else to ask, either.

Blaine purses his lips. "I was so mad when mom told me she was going to marry him. I mean, don't get me wrong, Quinn is lovely and I am forever grateful that I got to have her as a sister. But Russell… he's intimidating. We never got close. For the better, probably."

Kurt nods against Blaine's shoulder. He has met Quinn's father only once, when he went to the parent-teacher conference to set up his dad and Carole, and he didn't get the best impression.

"Is he supportive?" Kurt asks. "He didn't… strike me as the type."

"You mean, is he okay with me being gay?" Blaine asks, and sighs when Kurt nods in response. "It isn't a huge issue but only because I don't make it one. It's pretty much taboo. He said a few things when I was younger and… I was so scared he'd end up disliking me that I stopped talking about my sexuality when he was around." Blaine gulps. "It's also the reason why I haven't brought you home with me, yet," he adds, voice hesitant, "in case you were wondering."

"It's okay, I assumed as much," Kurt admits, lacing the fingers of his left hand with Blaine's right.

"I would love to have you over sometime," Blaine mutters, squeezing his hand and leaning his head against Kurt's. "But I'd rather let Quinn's dad move out first."

"Is that going to happen soon?" Kurt asks.

"Yes. He should be gone before Christmas, hopefully, so we can have Quinn back in time for the holidays."

"That's nice." Kurt strokes the back of Blaine's hand with his thumb. "Do you want to tell me more? I don't mean to push, of course."

Blaine shrugs. "I'm not sure there's much more. I mean, there's the bullying… I told you about that."

Kurt remembers. Blaine had told him on their first trip to the Lima Bean. "You told me you were bullied." He bites his lip, doesn't want to presume, but… "You never told me the whole story."

Blaine nods grimly. "I don't talk about it often."

"You don't have to," Kurt says quickly. "Whatever's comfortable for you."

"No, I want to tell you." Blaine takes a deep breath. "In middle school, there was a Sadie Hawkins dance. I asked a friend of mine if he would go with me – we were the only openly gay kids at school. Things were usually fine for us but that evening, some assholes decided that they had enough of us being out and proud. They cornered us when we were outside, waiting for his dad, and they…" He drops his gaze to his lap. "They beat the living crap out of us."

Kurt's sight becomes a little unfocused as his eyes fill up with tears. "Oh god, Blaine, I'm so sorry."

"I was in the hospital for five weeks," Blaine continues, "I had to miss some important exams that would have moved me up into high school. I had to repeat the last year of middle school. I spent three years trying to catch up and… there was always something missing or a particular teacher making it hard to get the grade I needed. They didn't even care that I only fell back because of the bullying. Until I finally managed to skip and get my life back on track, I felt so _weak_. I took up boxing so I could at least feel strong, like… twice a week or so."

Snuggling closer to Blaine, Kurt whispers, "I didn't know that. I'm so sorry."

Blaine's grip on his hand gets a little tight when he mumbles his reply. "I don't usually tell people this. I don't need their pity."

Kurt's heart breaks a little bit at that. In a way, Blaine's façade is not much different from Quinn's. The perfect life, the popularity – it's not all an illusion, but vulnerabilities get covered up, they fall through the cracks.

"Thanks for telling me." Kurt squeezes his hand. "And I don't pity you. You're so _strong_ , Blaine."

"Thank you," Blaine says on a wobbly exhale. "But yeah, that's it, I guess. I'm, well, out and proud and all, but I don't know if there is actually something to be really _proud_ of, you know? I've never really felt like I was… good enough for anyone. Holding back my feelings just started to feel so natural."

"Blaine," Kurt says, ducking his head so Blaine will look at him. "You have _so much_ to be proud of."

"I guess." Blaine shrugs, not exactly avoiding Kurt's gaze but not meeting it either. "Maybe I just want someone else to be proud of me for a change. I'm always trying so hard to be who they want me to be… I just want them to like me for who I am."

"Well, I do, for all it's worth." Kurt lifts their joint hands and kisses the back of Blaine's between their tangled fingers. "And I am so proud of you. And to be with you."

"Kurt," Blaine says, slightly out of breath. "That's- I… I want you to be."

"You didn't really think I wouldn't be, did you?" Kurt says with a little nudge to Blaine's shoulder.

Blaine doesn't answer, just looks into the distance. There is a tiny hint of a smile playing around his mouth, though, and Kurt feels relief wash through him. He just wants Blaine to be okay.

He plays with their fingers for a while before thinking of something else. "What about your mom?" he asks.

"My mom loves everyone unconditionally." Blaine rolls his eyes affectionately, but dismissively. "I couldn't disappoint her if I tried _._ She's my _mom_ _…_ "

Kurt nudges him with his elbow. "Don't take that for granted," he admonishes. "Add her to the list of people who think you are much better than good enough."

Blaine smiles bitterly. "I guess there isn't much of a list."

"Me, definitely." Kurt lifts up his hand and starts counting. "Quinn. Sam. Tina thinks very highly of your behind." Blaine giggles at that and Kurt sticks out his tongue at him before adding, "Most of the teachers at school would probably want you to be their adopted son or something. And seriously, you're so popular in school… half of the student body probably thinks you're some kind of god."

It makes Blaine laugh again and Kurt chuckles along with him.

"Seriously, though," Kurt continues. "I get what you're saying… you want to be better for people. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, you know." He sighs in frustration. "But you need to take care of yourself, Blaine. I can't watch you throw away something you want just so it won't have a negative impact on your reputation."

"Withdrawing wasn't about my reputation," Blaine mutters. "I was scared that Finn was right… and that you'd resent me."

"That was never going to happen," Kurt says. "Sure, it would have hurt but I would have been so happy for you. I want you to shine, Blaine."

"Thanks," Blaine mumbles. "And sorry for assuming th-"

"It's fine," Kurt interrupts. "I'm sorry, too. For not asking you about all of this earlier."

Blaine untangles himself from Kurt and turns to him with a confused look. "Why?"

It's Kurt's turn to twist his hands nervously. "You're always comforting me about Finn and I never really asked you how you were doing."

"I don't blame you," Blaine says. "You had a lot on your plate."

"Doesn't mean I should stop paying attention. It's not my strong suit, anyway, thinking about others."

"How did we just go from me being selfish to you being selfish?" Blaine asks, frowning so hard that his eyebrows are almost forming a straight line.

"Well, I obviously must have come across as disconnected or something," Kurt says with a frown of his own. "You didn't even talk to me before making the decision to withdraw from NYADA."

"I made that decision on a whim," Blaine protests. "And I knew all along what you would have said. Because you're _not_ selfish."

"Let's go with unobservant, then," Kurt says. Blaine looks like he wants to argue but Kurt interrupts him. "Please don't pretend like nothing's wrong. I can't fix problems I don't know anything about. But I _want_ to know about them."

"Kurt, don't blame yourself for this, that is the last thing I want." Blaine sighs. "You've had your own problems to deal with… your mind can't be everywhere at once, you know?"

"Okay, but still, I want you to talk to me. If something is troubling you, I want to be able to be there for you."

"I can do that," Blaine promises.

"Good." Kurt leans back on the bench, taking Blaine's hand again. "In the spirit of our new agreement, is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Just one thing," Blaine breathes out.

"Go ahead."

"You're my favorite person."

The way Blaine says it, intimately and in a hushed voice, makes Kurt shiver and smile and almost do a little happy dance. He sighs contently and presses his lips to Blaine's, warm against the cold November air.

They walk around for a bit longer until their fingers are cold and stiff, which is when they move things to Blaine's car.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Blaine says as he follows Kurt onto the backseat, "but I kind of don't want to make out right now."

Kurt chuckles. "I'm not gonna lie, it was on my agenda," he replies with an amused smirk. "But I'll go along with whatever you want to do."

Blaine sways a bit into Kurt as he swings his legs over Kurt's and leans his head close, more or less gluing himself to Kurt's body. He looks up from under his lashes, which is really testing Kurt's self-control, and says, "I was thinking maybe we could cuddle and nap together for a while."

Blaine's words trigger Kurt's limbs to suddenly feel heavy and tired again. He kisses Blaine's still cold forehead. "That sounds perfect," he says.

After some murmured chit-chat, Blaine falls asleep, wrapped up in Kurt's arms. Kurt watches his boyfriend sleep, feeling only mildly Cullen-ish, stroking his thumb over Blaine's cheekbone soothingly. He doesn't fight sleep when it takes over his body, only tilts his head sideways so that it rests against Blaine's and succumbs to the heavy drag of his eyelids.

* * *

They wake up to Blaine's ringtone. Kurt is still a bit disoriented when Blaine grabs for it in the pocket of his jacket.

"Huh?" Blaine mutters into the phone once he manages to accept the call.

"Hey, it's Quinn," his sister's voice rings through the speaker, the volume loud enough even for Kurt to hear.

"Hi." Blaine holds the phone far from his body and lets out a tiny yawn, before returning the device to the vicinity of his mouth. "What's up?"

"Weren't you going to pick me up from my doctor's appointment…?"

Blaine bolts upright. "Oh my god, Quinn, I am _so_ sorry. I lost track of time and-"

Quinn laughs. "It's fine, you're probably with Kurt."

"Um, well, yes," Blaine says sheepishly. "But-"

"I hope the make-out session was worth leaving your poor, helpless sister stranded at the gynecologist."

"Quinn," Blaine whines. "I'm in the car, I can come get you right now."

"Blaine!" Quinn exclaims, mock-scandalized. Kurt suppresses a grin, though his cheeks are burning. "Making out in the backseat of your car like in the classic teenage movies?! Who knew you'd be so… adventurous."

"Oh my god, we were just napping," Blaine says, hanging his head with an embarrassed blush. Kurt giggles next to him and kisses his cheek.

"Ah, yeah, I miss _just napping_ with someone," Quinn says wistfully, and Kurt cracks up completely. "Hi, Kurt."

"Hi, Quinn," he pants between laughs. "As much as I enjoy you torturing your brother, he's actually telling the truth."

"Boring," Quinn comments. "Anyway, I really need that ride, would you…?"

"Of course," Blaine says at once. "We're on our way."

* * *

Quinn is waiting for them in a fabulous beige coat with flower print that Kurt re-tailored with her a few weeks ago to make her growing belly fit into it.

"Looking good," Kurt comments and she throws him a wink as she climbs onto the backseat of the car.

"Everything fine with the baby?" Blaine asks, eyeing his sister through the rearview mirror.

"Yup, she's fine." Quinn fastens her seatbelt. "Everything okay with you? I was joking on the phone but… it's not really like you to just forget to pick me up."

Blaine squirms in his seat. Kurt makes sure to maintain his poker face. If Blaine hasn't talked to Quinn about the NYADA withdrawal yet, he doesn't want to give anything away by looking suspicious.

"Everything's great," Blaine says, not all that convincingly, and Kurt watches him cringe and sigh. "Actually, it's not."

"What happened?" Quinn asks right away. Kurt can see her frown in the mirror.

Blaine tells her the whole story and by the end of it, Quinn reacts the same way as Kurt, telling him that he can't just give up what he loves for the possibility of making enemies and disappointing people.

"Remember how I used to starve myself so I wouldn't be yelled at for gaining weight by Coach Sylvester like the other Cheerios?" she asks Blaine. Kurt feels like he is intruding, listening to such a private conversation, but he can't just pull out his headphones and listen to music. He decides to look out of the window instead, at least giving them the chance not to be observed intently by a third party.

"Of course," Blaine says. His voice sounds strained, like the memory is paining him.

"Now that I have someone growing inside of me, I have to really take care of what I eat. And I've realized that I feel responsible of my baby in a way I never felt for myself." Quinn's voice breaks when she continues. "Blaine, I wish I could go back in time and tell myself that I'm worth so much more than just a number on a weight scale or a slim body in a cheerleading uniform."

Kurt can't see anything but he feels her arm reach between Blaine and him. She's probably holding onto Blaine's shoulder.

"You need to be responsible for yourself, not others," she says. "And the sooner you learn that, the better."

"Quinn, I-" Blaine croaks. "I promise I'll try. I've promised Kurt, too."

"Good," she says, and moves her hand to Kurt's shoulder. "Thanks, Kurt."

"Anytime," Kurt replies, voice tight.

By the time they reach Mercedes' house, the mood has somewhat lifted, with some help from Blaine's iPod.

Quinn gets out of the car and motions for Blaine to open his door. As soon as he does, she throws his arms around him and squeezes her eyes shut. "You applied to a back-up school, right?" she asks.

Blaine nods. "Two, actually."

"Well, then, it'll all work out."

"I hope so," Blaine says in a small voice.

* * *

That night, when Kurt has successfully made it back into his bedroom without running into Finn and starting another fight, they talk on the phone and research more back-up schools together. Blaine, so it seems, is lucky that he decided to withdraw from NYADA's applicants' pool so early because most of the other schools are still accepting applications, which means that at least New York City isn't completely out of the picture for Blaine.

"So, you already applied to Julliard and NYU, right? Well, then we still have some smaller schools in the NYC area left… all of their deadlines are in early December," Kurt summarizes, perusing the little list he is making.

"Don't forget Yale," Blaine pipes up on the other line, and Kurt bites his lip.

He knows Blaine is thinking of Yale because Quinn already applied there, and he doesn't want to talk him out of it, not after the discussion they had earlier. Kurt wants to be supportive of whatever Blaine chooses. And if the school Blaine enrolls in happens to be in California, or Alaska, or even overseas, then they'll make it work. Or at least try. After all, things could be different – Blaine could still be a junior and they'd have to make long-distance work in any case.

Connecticut would at least still be somewhat close.

"That's a, what, two-hour drive from New York?" Kurt asks and can't help but selfishly wish that Blaine will take that as a reason not to apply.

"One and a half, I think," Blaine answers instead. "And I could help Quinn with the baby."

"If she gets in," Kurt says, and he feels like he has those typical cartoon angel and devil personalities sitting on his shoulders. The devil is definitely making him say these things… and probably gagging the angel so he won't talk.

"Do you… not want me to apply at Yale?" Blaine asks softly, and oh dear, there goes Kurt's oh-so-supportive act. Kurt chastises himself mentally. Didn't he _just_ promise Blaine to be more attentive?

"No, no, you should," he says quickly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to talk you out of it."

"I'd prefer New York, if that makes you feel any better."

"Blaine, I'll be happy with whatever you choose."

Blaine laughs. "I know you're trying to be… careful, or whatever, but I promise you I'm not going to limit myself just because of you. I just want to do this the rational way and consider _all_ of my options. New York is definitely my top priority… that's why applied for three major schools in New York, remember?"

"Okay." Kurt inhales deeply and tells the devil on his shoulder to kindly go fuck himself. "Tell me about Yale, then."

* * *

The next morning before school, Kurt gets up a little later than usual, ignoring his alarm the first two times it rings. Despite the nap in Blaine's car, he must not have gotten enough sleep the day before.

He sleepily shuffles across the hallway to the bathroom to get ready but stops in his tracks when he smells… pancakes? At first, he thinks he is still dreaming but when he hears Finn humming downstairs, followed by a short string of curse words, he decides to forgo getting ready for the time being and seeing what Finn is up to instead. When he reaches the kitchen, Finn is back to humming.

"Hey," Kurt greets and realizes a second too late that he doesn't really know if they're on speaking terms. Their fight yesterday ended sort of abruptly, after all, and he didn't make any effort to speak to Finn when he came home from his long afternoon with Blaine.

Finn spins around. "Oh, uh," he stammers. "Hi."

It doesn't sound hostile so Kurt takes it as a good sign.

"What's going on?" he asks. Finn never makes pancakes. In fact, he barely makes himself anything else other than cereal for breakfast.

"I wanted to surprise you."

Kurt keeps his jaw from dropping but his eyebrow creeps into the other direction. "Surprise me?"

"Yeah, um, as an apology," Finn says shyly.

Kurt leans against the kitchen counter. "For yesterday?"

Finn nods.

"I don't think I'm the one you should be apologizing to," Kurt tells him.

"I know," Finn says. "I'm going to apologize to Blaine, too."

Kurt sucks his lips in and suppresses a smile. "I'm sure he'll appreciate that."

"I hope so." Finn takes a deep breath. "I've been an asshole."

Kurt nods in agreement and Finn looks a little taken aback for a moment.

"No backtalk, okay then," Finn says, almost to himself, and looks even more sheepish than before when Kurt starts to giggle despite himself. "What?"

"I've missed you," Kurt says earnestly and steps away from the counter to hug his brother. Finn hugs bag, a little surprised but with a strong grip on Kurt's shoulder blades.

"So we're okay?" Finn mumbles into his hair.

"You tell me," Kurt answers, leaning back to look him in the eyes. "You're not the only one who's sorry."

"Oh, right." Finn nods to himself. "I forgive you. I understand why you did it, I guess."

"It hurt me so much to keep it from you, I just…"

"Couldn't say anything, I know." Finn steps out of the embrace. "But can we… not, right now? I made pancakes and I kind of want to eat them before school."

Kurt grins. "I'll follow your lead, Kin Finn."

The pancakes are not the best Kurt has ever eaten but he smiles around his mouthful, anyway. It's their metaphorical taste that counts.

* * *

Finn must have been very eager to set things straight with Blaine because lunch time has Blaine happily munching away next to Kurt, telling him about how Finn came to his locker that morning with a little box full of left-over pancakes as a peace offering and a heartfelt apology that Blaine accepted with a hug halfway through Finn's speech.

"Oh, and get this," Blaine says, bouncing in his chair, "most of the questions for the other schools are the same as for NYADA so I was able to reuse most of my NYADA essay and already submitted half of my applications."

"That's great." Kurt grins. "So, good day, huh?"

"Much better than yesterday, at any rate," Blaine says and leans close to Kurt. "You know what would make it even better? If you came over to my house tonight for dinner."

Kurt stares at him for a while. "Blaine, your step-dad-"

"… is going away on a business trip," Blaine fills in for him. "And my mom wants to have both Quinn and you over."

"I…" Kurt almost wants to decline, say that Quinn and Blaine should get some well-deserved family time with their mom, but a close look at Blaine's hopeful smile and his sparkling eyes tell him how important it is to Blaine to have him over for the first time. "Yeah, sure, why not? If I'm not intruding, that is."

"Of course not!" Blaine exclaims. "My mom knows how much I, uh- want you to be there. It was her idea to invite you."

Kurt smiles and bites the corner of his lip in silent celebration that Blaine's mom apparently likes him enough to have him over for a family dinner.

"Okay, I'm in," Kurt says. "Now, what should one wear for dinner with Pamela Anderson?"

* * *

Kurt stops by Mercedes' house first because he promised Quinn to give her a ride. Quinn steps out of the front door just as he parks as his car and he watches her wave a quick goodbye to Mercedes before she makes her way over to the car.

"This is so weird," she says as soon as she's seated. "I'm having someone pick me up for a dinner party in my own house."

"Are you excited?" Kurt asks as they roll out of the driveway.

"Yes," Quinn says with a smile. "I haven't been home in two months. I can't wait to move back in."

"Next month?"

"Yup. As soon as my father leaves."

"Have you talked to him at all?"

Quinn purses her lips. "I tried. He's stubborn."

"I'm sorry."

She shakes her head. "Don't be. I decided I am not going to bother if he doesn't want me in his life. I'm going to start a new life with Beth."

"Beth?" Kurt asks and doesn't miss the way Quinn blushes when he glances at her quickly.

"Puck suggested it," she mumbles.

"Are things with him…?"

"Better," Quinn says contemplatively. "Nothing's set in stone yet but he seems to be willing to contribute to her life, I guess. And I really like the name."

"Yeah, Beth is cute."

"I already love her so much," Quinn breathes out. "I can't believe I have to wait five more months until I meet her."

"Please tell me you need my help sewing baby dresses for her," Kurt says, and he's only half-joking. He did enjoy his sowing sessions with Quinn and Blaine quite a lot.

Quinn pretends to be on the fence about it and he spends the rest of the drive desperately pitching his ideas to her until she agrees in earnest.

* * *

Kurt has had several expectations of his visit at the Anderson-Fabray household but Blaine opening the door in a pink apron with colorful cupcakes on it isn't one of them.

Quinn easily steps into the house, weaseling her way in between Blaine and the doorframe with a short "You're such a nerd, why are you wearing my old apron?" as a greeting. She doesn't bother stopping and waiting for an answer and instead shouts, "Pam! I'm home!" into what Kurt can see of the rather impressive hallway. Pam can be heard rushing in from another room, squealing Quinn's name in delight.

Ignoring all of the fuss going on behind him, Blaine looks down at his outfit and scrunches his nose with a sheepish shrug.

Kurt just gapes at him for a few seconds. "You look…"

"Uh yeah, this is-" Blaine starts but doesn't get far with his explanation because Kurt bolts forward and presses their lips together fiercely. Blaine's lips taste a little spicy – Kurt suspects he tried the sauce for whatever meal he was cooking, and he can't help but moan into kiss. Blaine pulls him closer in response and frames Kurt's face with his hands, his thumbs stroking Kurt's cheekbones and his other fingers scraping his nape and hairline.

"So, so, so adorable," Kurt finishes when he leans away, a bit breathless, Blaine following the movement ever so slightly as if he's chasing Kurt's lips.

When he realizes Kurt is finished greeting him, Blaine looks back up to his eyes with a bashful blush. "Thanks," he says. "Mom couldn't find another apron for me and I really wanted to help cooking, so…"

"I'm not complaining," Kurt says lightly and follows Blaine inside when he motions for him to do so. "The cupcake theme actually goes well with one of the dresses I just mentally designed for Quinn's baby. You'll be an adorable uncle with an adorable niece."

Blaine laughs. "Sounds good to me."

Kurt takes off his shoes and jacket and hesitates when he notices the hallway is empty. Quinn and Pam must have retreated to somewhere else in the house... which, he is now noticing, actually is more of a villa. The hallway alone is huge, there are several rooms to his left and to his right and a huge staircase in front of him.

"Should we…?" Kurt asks, looking around for the kitchen, or the dining room, or wherever they can expect Quinn and Pam to have disappeared to.

"Actually, I thought I could show you around first," Blaine says and his socked toes are wiggling a little impatiently like he actually can't wait to give Kurt a tour of the house.

"Oh, okay," Kurt says and lets himself be pulled in the direction of the staircase by his hand.

Blaine forgoes his parents' bedroom ("boring") and shows him the upstairs bathroom and Quinn's bedroom instead. Kurt nods and hums at all the right places in the conversation but he finds himself pretty distracted all of a sudden. He is going to see Blaine's bedroom. And it's not a casual, _oh, I just stopped by_ kind of thing. He is actually over for dinner with Blaine's family and somehow, that makes seeing Blaine's bedroom super official and a little bit nerve-wracking.

"Aaaand," Blaine says, stepping out of Quinn's room and across the hallway into another one, "this is my bedroom."

Kurt follows him and finds himself in a simple yet effortlessly elegant room with dark furniture and dimmed lights. The earthy tones somehow scream… _Blaine_ more than any of his imagined furniture assemblages did. He lets out a low whistle.

"I _like_ it," he says, impressed. His nervousness flies out of the window in favor of taking everything in, adding to the picture of what he already knows of Blaine in the best way possible. There are odd, stylish decorations everywhere, like the hourglass on the round table next to the bed or the silver clock that looks like a sea urchin on the dresser, and to its left-

"Oh," Kurt says, stepping closer and taking in the black-and-white picture of himself in a neat black frame. It's his campaign poster. He brushes a finger over the frame. "You weren't lying when you said you liked it."

Blaine makes a confused humming sound before his gaze apparently follows Kurt's line of sight and he lets out an embarrassed chuckle. Kurt doesn't turn around but watches Blaine's reaction through the mirror that is leaning against the wall on the dresser.

"Would you, uh," Blaine says with rapidly reddening cheeks, "be totally weirded out if I told you that I printed it out the same day you sent it to me?"

Kurt turns around with wide eyes, one hand still on the picture frame. "That was way before we got together."

Blaine gives another small laugh. "Yeah, exactly."

Kurt takes in his boyfriend who looks incredibly garish in his pink apron amidst of all the dark furniture, his boyfriend who always knows how to comfort Kurt, his boyfriend who printed out his favorite picture of Kurt when they weren't even dating yet, his boyfriend whom he-

"I love you," Kurt blurts out, and the hand he still has on the dresser grips onto it like it's a lifeline.

Blaine's eyes flit from the picture to Kurt and his mouth is slightly open as if he is trying to comprehend what he just heard. Kurt is on the verge of taking it back, or pretending he said something else, or possibly moving to the Antarctica forever, when his words finally seem to dawn on Blaine.

"Kurt," Blaine says, stepping closer immediately. "I..."

"You don't have to say it back," Kurt says quickly. "If you're not there yet, or at all, I mean, it's just that I've been holding it back for a while now and then you open the door in that goddamn apron and all I can think is how lucky I am to be with someone as amazing and- and _ridiculous_ as you and-"

"Kurt," Blaine interrupts, closing the distance between them completely and sliding his hands up Kurt's chest until they land on his neck, his eyes boring into Kurt's. "You just took me by surprise."

"Okay," Kurt breathes out.

"I was going to play you another song on the piano again later," Blaine says quietly. "And I was going to tell you then."

Kurt holds his breath and doesn't move. Blaine is so close that he can count the specks in his irises.

"I love you, too," Blaine whispers and rubs Kurt's neck with his thumbs tenderly. " _So_ much."

Kurt's not sure who leans in first but as soon as the words leave Blaine's mouth, they are kissing and pulling at each other with fervor. Kurt feels Blaine sighing into the kiss and he runs his hands up Blaine's arms, a warm sensation – _love_ , he thinks giddily – running through his veins and making his fingertips tingle and curl excitedly.

He runs his tongue over Blaine's bottom lip, feeling his heart speed up at the sound of Blaine's heavy breathing. If love is this simple and content and dizzying, Kurt thinks feverishly, he doesn't care if he said it too soon or in the spur of the moment, he just wants _more_ of it.

"You love me," he mumbles against Blaine's lips.

"I do," Blaine croaks with a hoarse voice.

"And I love you," Kurt mutters.

"Which is fucking fantastic," Blaine rasps while moving his lips to Kurt's jawline, peppering little kisses all over the place and biting down playfully where Kurt's jaw meets his neck. He whines a little at the feeling and grips Blaine's arms harder.

They keep at it for a while longer, trading kisses that range from lazy and searching to downright hot, when Quinn's voice comes calling through the corridor, "Boys?"

Kurt is too busy basking in the thought of _being loved by Blaine_ to care that Quinn is going to find them with disheveled hair and flushed faces, probably giving her the wrong impression about what has been going on for the past ten minutes. Instead, he leans close again, lays his head on Blaine's shoulder and utters another "I love you" in the crook of Blaine's neck. Blaine says it right back, mumbling the words into his hairline.

"There you are," Quinn drawls teasingly, taking in their position with a smile and a raised eyebrow. "Dinner is ready. It took a bit longer because _someone_ didn't come back to fulfill his kitchen duties."

Blaine grins. "Sorry, I had better things to do."

"Clearly." Quinn snorts. "Anyway, Pam sent me to tell you to stop making out already and help set the table."

They follow Quinn downstairs with their hands linked loosely between their bodies and when Kurt finally sees Pam for the first time that evening, she either doesn't notice his blush and the messy hair or she decides not to comment on it.

Dinner is delicious. Blaine swears that his mom did 90% of the cooking but Pam waves a dismissive hand and credits him for it. Kurt smiles at the amicable bickering. When Blaine had talked about his less than supportive family background the day before, he was worried that Blaine wasn't happy at home. But watching him with his mother, their loving dynamic as clear as day, he eases up a bit. He's sure things will look up for Blaine as soon as Quinn moves back in as well.

Quinn herself is looking utterly blissful, watching her brother and her step-mother with a content grin, hiding half of her delighted face behind her glass of water.

And under the table, Blaine's ankle is hooked around his, and every now and then, he'll look over with a close-lipped smile and shining eyes, engaging him in a non-verbal conversation that Kurt is pretty sure says something along the lines of _being in love is pretty damn amazing_.

* * *

Come December, the Glee club is busy putting together a holiday-themed set list instead of obsessing over Sectionals set lists, which is a nice change for most of their busy lives because the Christmas songs are easy to learn and Mr. Schue dismisses class early from time to time.

Kurt is glad he doesn't have to spend that much time on his Glee club assignments because it gives him time to get some gift-shopping done and make sure his dad isn't spending the month living off cookies only.

Finn, with some nudging from Carole's insightful knowledge as a nurse, goes to see the guidance counselor between Glee club and football practice to use it as an outlet for his frustrations. Miss Pillsbury seems to be a calming influence on Finn and he perks up after just a few sessions with her, rejoining his family for movie nights and Friday night dinners and just generally making an effort to be more present.

Quinn moves back in with Pam and Blaine and spends most of her new-found free time reading parenting books and looking for holiday part-time jobs so she can start saving money.

Blaine uses the extra free time as well and puts together his last applications. He manages to convince Kurt to apply to a few other schools as well, even though at first Kurt gets irritated again that Blaine might still think he won't be good enough for NYADA. Blaine uses simple logic, convincing arguments and soothing kisses to his advantage and in the end, Kurt finds himself applying to three other schools in addition to NYADA, including NYU.

When Rachel gets wind of their alternative plans, she calls them both to an emergency meeting over lunch time, literally dragging them to the choir room and demanding to know why they even bothered to apply for NYADA when they are chickening out last-minute.

"That's not what we're doing," Blaine says calmly, sitting down on the piano stool and pressing a few keys distractedly. "We're trying to improve our chances of going to New York even if NYADA is out of the picture." He pauses. "At least for one of us," he adds, and shoots Kurt a wink.

Rachel huffs. "I understand why _you_ need more options, Blaine, even though I still think it was very stupid of you to withdraw your application." She pauses and turns to Kurt. "But Kurt, you? I thought this was our dream. Going to NYADA together."

"Rachel, that dream is still on," Kurt says with a sigh. "But you know just as well as me that my application isn't as powerful as yours and what if I don't get in? What am I going to do in New York without any kind of footing?"

"We'll find you something," Rachel says stubbornly. "You can wait half a year and re-apply."

"I'd rather take some classes at another school and transfer mid-year," Kurt says softly. "You don't have to be scared that I'm going to leave you behind at NYADA all by yourself."

"That's not the issue," Rachel says stiffly but it's not very convincing.

Kurt takes her hand and continues, "I promise that if I get into NYADA, I won't consider any other schools. Wouldn't you rather have me there with you instead of moping around in Ohio or at some badly paid New York based part-time job that will make me all grouchy?"

Kurt's words elicit a small smile from Rachel. She nods, a little stiff but seemingly appeased.

They can't convince her to apply to some other schools as well, though. She says it will tamper with her dedication in the audition process. Knowing Rachel, that might actually be accurate, Kurt thinks to himself.

* * *

Christmas break approaches fast and it puts a full stop to Kurt's busy schedule. With Quinn's dad out of the house, Kurt finds himself spending time with Blaine's family almost as much as he does with his own. Pam has dubbed him her titular third son and always engulfs him in one of her big, overly affectionate hugs before he leaves. One time, Quinn mimics doing the same, dramatically exclaiming "Oh, Kurt, don't leave us so soon, we might never see you again," and it ends in Pam playfully hitting her step-daughter's arm repeatedly while Blaine and Kurt just watch the two bicker with ill-concealed smirks.

Burt semi-jokingly reminds him that he should save the date for Christmas Eve in his calendar because his family expects him to be home at some point during the break. Kurt brushes it off with a sarcastic comment but Blaine, attentive and worried as ever, makes a point of coming over more often after Christmas instead of having him over at his house so that Kurt can be with his family. Burt doesn't comment on it but he seems pleased enough with his behavior to even agree to let Blaine sleep over on New Year's Eve so that they won't have to drive that far after spending the evening at Rachel's house.

Rachel has organized a house party for the New Directions because her dads are spending the night with friends out of town. Kurt offers to be the designated driver for the night and drives himself, Finn and Blaine over to Rachel's house. When they're almost there, Finn clears his throat awkwardly and asks if there is a reason for why Quinn isn't riding with them. Kurt looks over to his brother in the passenger seat.

"Um," he says slowly, "we thought you might not be okay with it, so Quinn is getting a ride with Mercedes."

"Okay," Finn says and picks at his fingernails. "It would have been alright with me. I… I don't want to fight with her anymore."

"That's really nice of you, Finn," Blaine pipes up from the backseat. "But she's sleeping over at Mercedes' place tonight, anyway, so it's really not a big deal."

Finn nods and says, "Okay, I just wanted you to know you don't have to pretend she doesn't exist around me."

"That's good to know," Kurt comments but Finn is already looking back out of the window in thought.

When they arrive at Rachel's house and ring the doorbell, Kurt turns to Blaine. "Don't be alarmed if Rachel hands you some tickets for drinks or a guideline to having fun or something, she is very meticulous about her house parties."

Blaine laughs. "Okay."

"And don't ask about the stage and the karaoke set-up in the basement," Kurt adds. "She will start listing all of her one-woman shows and private performances for her dads and the neighborhood in chronological order and if you stick around for the whole speech, you might not get to talk to anyone else the whole night."

"Okay," Blaine repeats, still amused.

Kurt pauses, before turning back to Blaine a third time. "And don't expect-"

"Kurt, I'll be fine," Blaine says with another laugh. "I'll just follow your lead."

Rachel opens the door with a big smile plastered on her face. "Welcome to our humble abode," she says and ushers them inside.

When they get down to the basement, some people are already comfortably seated on the couches or perched on the fluffy carpet on the floor. Most of them have drinks in their hand but nobody seems overly drunk yet.

"Okay, house rules," Rachel says, turning to Blaine. Kurt rolls his eyes at him over her head, causing Blaine to stifle his laughter by biting his lip. "No sitting on anything that isn't made for sitting, my bedroom is off-limits – that goes for you ladies, too!" she adds in a louder voice in the direction of the staircase where Brittany and Santana seem to have tried to sneak away.

"Whatever, Berry," Santana says in a bored voice, sitting down on the staircase and pulling Brittany with her to make out right then and there. Kurt smirks and turns back to Rachel and Blaine.

"Where was I?" Rachel wonders, counting the rules she already mentioned on her fingers, and Blaine takes the opportunity to blurt, "Got it, thanks, Rachel!" and pulls Kurt away to one of the couches.

"Smart move," Kurt comments and doesn't give Blaine time to answer before he leans in to kiss him soundly.

* * *

An hour later, most of them are hammered. Kurt looks around the basement, observing Tina laughing hysterically at something Sugar said, almost spilling her drink all over Mike, whose head is resting on her lap, clinging to her knees with his hands to keep himself from falling when the vibrations of her laughter almost send him flying off the couch. Rachel is running around asking people to sign up for Karaoke but she is too tipsy to realize that most of them are jotting down fake names.

"Kurrrt," Mercedes purrs, plumping down on the couch next to him. "Kurrrt, I'm dr-," she hiccups, "drunk." She then erupts into laughter and sways into Kurt who manages to barely hold out his hands in time to catch her.

He frowns. "Wait, Mercedes, aren't you driving Quinn home?"

Mercedes cackles. "You're s-such a bad friend, Kurrrt," she jokes. "I can't drive like this, do you want us to diiie?"

Kurt shakes his head at her fondly. "No, that's why I'm asking, 'Cedes."

Mercedes looks confused. "Isn't she driving?"

"Not that I know of," Kurt says, looking around for Quinn but the group of dancing people in front of the stage making it hard for him to scan the room properly.

"Here," he says and hands Mercedes his cup of coke, "drink something non-alcoholic in between drinks so you won't be too hungover tomorrow."

As he gets up to look for Quinn – or possibly Rachel, who might have kept track of driving arrangements if Kurt is lucky – Mercedes gives him a slap on the ass instead of an answer, and he throws her a grin.

"Can I do that, too?" an amused voice to his left chirps. Kurt turns to find Blaine leaning against the wall with two cups of… something. His eyes are crinkling as he holds out one of the cups, offering one to Kurt.

"Not drinking, remember?" Kurt asks with a smile, ignoring Blaine's butt-slapping inquiry, hoping that it was meant as a joke and not a serious talk about sexual fantasies, because Kurt might feel somewhat ready to have sex with Blaine soon-ish but nowhere near comfortable enough to discuss kinks, especially not in the middle of Rachel Berry's drunken mess of a party, surrounded by their nosy friends.

Blaine smiles knowingly. "Don't worry, it's just punch. I made sure nobody spiked it. Sugar brought it over a while ago and I haven't seen Puck anywhere near it."

Kurt takes the cup from Blaine's hand but sniffs the liquid inside for verification before taking a sip.

"You're not drinking, either?" he asks when he notices that Blaine seems entirely sober. If he's being completely honest with himself, he is a little torn between being relieved and disappointed. He's pretty sure that drunk Blaine would have been an adorable sight to behold but at least the way back home will be easier – and with so many intoxicated people around, having a few more sober people in the mix can't hurt.

Blaine shrugs. "Quinn isn't drinking, obviously, you're driving, and Sam was drinking the wrong kind of stuff to get me in the mood."

"Oh god, what _is_ he drinking?"

"I think he tried mixing vodka with beer _and_ tequila…"

Kurt wrinkles his nose.

"The experiment went, uh, badly," Blaine adds, pointing to a passed out Sam at the foot of the stage. "Evidently."

Kurt can see people sidestep Sam's stretched out limbs while they dance and he turns to Blaine with a frown. "Should we… get him out of here?"

"I already called his mom," Blaine says. "She'll be here in a bit. Too bad, though. Tonight was the night he was going to finally make a move on Mercedes."

Kurt gasps. "He has a crush on Mercedes?"

"Uh, yeah," Blaine says like it's obvious. "He's always trying to impress her."

"Huh." Kurt thinks back to his conversations with Mercedes, trying to single out any comments she might have made about Sam, but comes up empty. He pushes the thought away. "Anyway, speaking of Mercedes, she's drunk out of her mind and most definitely _not_ taking Quinn home with her."

"Wait, what?"

"I know, it's weird."

"Well, Quinn was very adamant about going back to Mercedes' place," Blaine says, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Do you think maybe she drove instead of Mercedes?"

"I doubt it," Kurt says, scanning the room again for Finn. Instead, his eyes find Artie spinning his wheelchair on the dance floor and almost knocking people over in the process. He shakes his head. "Her car wasn't outside. But now that I think about it, so wasn't Mercedes'…"

Blaine pushes himself off the wall. "Okay, let's find her and ask."

In that exact moment, Sam leans up from where he has been lying, his back against the stage, and throws up right when Rory passes him by in an attempt to moonwalk that instead sends him slipping and falling into the mess.

"Ew, oh my god," Kurt manages, tempted to empty the contents of his own stomach in a case of empathetic nausea.

Blaine's eyes threaten to bulge out of his face and he runs a frantic hand through his hair. "Okay, change of plans," he says exasperatedly. "I'm going to deal with Sam, you go find Quinn."

It's easier said than done. Kurt peruses the basement and even goes as far as to check Rachel's bedroom, where – and he really should have anticipated this – he finds Santana and Brittany instead. He closes the door in a shorter time than it took for him to open it, ignoring Santana's rant about knocking and privacy and holding back a counter argument about respecting the sanctity of people's bed sheets. He makes a mental note to remind Rachel to wash hers.

It is sheer luck that, while turning away from Rachel's door in horror, he throws a look out of the hallway window into the garden. Through the dim lights, he can make out the shape of two people… kissing?

He approaches the window quickly, in his head making a list of people that are missing from the basement. Quinn, of course, is number 1. And number 2… _oh_.

He really could have figured that one out earlier.

Of course there is a reason the punch hasn't been spiked yet.

He retreats from the window, giving them the privacy they were so obviously seeking by sneaking out into the garden.

As he makes his way back downstairs, he first runs into Rachel who seems to be looking for someone as well.

"Have you seen Puck?" she asks, her voice a mixture of drowsy and intoxicated.

"No, why?" Kurt lies.

"Ugh, he promised me he'd mix me a drink." Rachel pouts. A cross expression takes over her face and she balls her fists. "I bet he is in my bedroom!"

Kurt blocks her path as she tries to run upstairs. "Uh, I think you should not go into your bedroom."

"Why?" Rachel squints her eyes.

Kurt squirms under her gaze. "You probably wouldn't want to see."

"Ew, Kurt, did you tie Blaine up in there or something?"

"What?! No!" Kurt yelps, blushing at the implication and _where the hell is all this kinky talk coming from tonight?_ He draws the line – he can't protect everyone's shenanigans tonight, especially if not spilling the beans results in Rachel thinking that _he_ is the one violating her house rules _._ "Santana and Brittany are in there."

"I knew it!" Rachel exclaims. She makes to run past Kurt again but before he can try to stop her, she actually stops on her own account. "You know what? You're right. I really do not want to see that."

Kurt laughs at her sudden haughty demeanor when she steps back down and steers towards the bathroom instead. He stops when she turns back around and glares at him.

"Hey," he says, holding his hands up in defense, "you have to admit, you're funny when you're drunk."

She looks like she is going to protest but her glower turns into a confused frown when she looks back to the bathroom door.

"You can't figure out how to open it, can you?" Kurt asks.

She shakes her head primly and Kurt sighs, opening it for her.

"Thanks, Kurt!" she quips, apparently already having forgotten about her initial endeavor to find Puck. Kurt figures it's for the better.

As soon as she's locked inside the bathroom, Blaine appears in the hallway with a very reluctant Sam muttering something that sounds like, "But tonight is the night, bruh."

"Sorry, buddy," Blaine replies and grunts under Sam's weight. "You'll have to sweep her off her feet another night."

Kurt rushes in to help him carry Sam to the door.

"Thanks," Blaine croaks.

"Don't mention it," Kurt says. "Will his mom be upset that he's been drinking?"

"I think she's cool about this stuff," Blaine says. "But this _is_ a pretty pathetic sight, so…"

As it turns out, Sam's mother isn't all that shocked, even though her eyes widen when she takes in her son's slouched posture and his unfocused look.

"Samuel Evans, you are so grounded," she mutters.

Sam's chosen form of protest is to vomit all over the front porch.

* * *

Once they've closed the door and left Sam's mom to deal with Sam on her own and Blaine is back on his mission to find Quinn, Kurt fills him in on his discovery. He feels a little bad dropping the dime on Quinn like that but he figures that the garden isn't the _best_ hiding place in the world and that Blaine would have found them sooner or later.

Blaine actually doesn't seem that surprised. Kurt imagines that Blaine must have discussed the issue with his sister before and doesn't press on.

With another hour to go until midnight, they decide to just go back to the party and enjoy the rest of the night. With the exception of Rory, who doesn't seem all that impressed with the drinking because Irish parties are, apparently, wilder, and Finn, who claims he isn't the mood for heavy drinking, all of their friends are completely plastered. Santana and Brittany have come back downstairs and are dancing on stage, Artie, apparently dizzy from spinning in his chair so long, is taking a time out from dancing and downs a few tequila shots, and Tina and Mike are, to nobody's surprise, busy making out on the couch.

Kurt briefly considers taking care of Mercedes who seems to have left the happy-drunk stage and is now verging on philosophical-musings-drunk but she doesn't seem to have a bad time so he just shrugs and takes Blaine's hand to pull him onto the dance floor.

They dance for a while, smiling and shimmying and twirling. Neither of them cares that the "music" is just blasting noise with a beat loud enough for drunk people to know when to step from one foot to the other. As long as Kurt is dancing with Blaine, he reckons they could play _Old MacDonald Had A Farm_ and he'd feel like they were doing the tango.

A few minutes before the clock strikes midnight, they step out onto the front yard with the few of their friends who manage to make it out of the basement.

"Let's light these," Mike says excitedly and pulls out a firecracker from a box on the porch, holding them the wrong way so that they're pointing towards him and thankfully not finding a lighter before anyone can stop him.

"Let's not," Blaine counters gently and takes the firecracker from his hand.

Mike pouts and Rory offers to light them for him, which elicits an excited response from both Mike and Tina.

Not particularly interested in lighting fireworks, Kurt pulls Blaine back to the front porch to sit on its enclosure and watch from afar.

He tangles their hands and leans his head on Blaine's shoulder. "Hey," he says quietly, his breath visible in the cold air, "I'm looking forward to starting the new year with you."

Blaine wiggles his butt to get more comfortable and squeezes his hand. "Me, too."

Up ahead in the yard, their friends are starting to count down from ten.

"I've never had someone to kiss on New Year's Eve," Blaine mutters before turning his head swiftly right when the countdown stops, taking Kurt's face in his hands and kissing him sweetly.

Kurt smiles into the kiss and when they break apart, he looks up at Blaine from under his lashes and whispers teasingly, "Well, now I'd be lying if I said I didn't, either."

* * *

The party dies down pretty quickly after that. When they come back down, most people in the basement are already snoring. Rachel is singing a heartfelt but very slurred rendition of _Time After Time_. The only one still present enough to watch is Artie who whoops loudly and holds up his cellphone to wave it in the air.

"I think we should go," Finn announces, looking a bit antsy as he watches Rachel sing.

Kurt and Blaine nod in agreement.

When Finn heads upstairs to get their coats, Kurt grabs Blaine by the sleeve. "Wait," he hisses. "What about Quinn?"

Blaine holds up his cellphone in a silent response.

 _Gonna stay over at Puck's! Don't worry about me! – Q_

 _I know Kurt saw us, he isn't as sneaky as he thinks he is. ;) – Q_

 _Don't tell Pam I lied about staying with Mercedes? – Q_

Kurt reads it and smiles sheepishly. "Oops."

Blaine shrugs. "She seems happy, that's all that matters."

They bid everyone goodbye who is still aware enough to realize that they're leaving and head out to the car to drive home.

Having Blaine sleep over for the first time is exhilarating. They don't _do_ anything but just the feeling of falling asleep next to Blaine and knowing that he'll get to wake up to his face first thing in the morning makes Kurt so giddy that he knows sleep will engulf him pretty easily.

Right before they fall asleep, Blaine mutters, "Have I told you I loved you yet?"

Kurt grins. "Not this year, you haven't."

Blaine sighs drowsily and shuffles closer. "I love you, Kurt."

"Love you, too," Kurt mumbles and gives him a peck on the nose before they both doze off.


	7. I Can't Stand This Indecision

_**A/N: Early again because I'll be busy over the weekend.**_

 _ **Also, stay tuned for a college!AU (one-shot) I'm posting later tonight - it's not going to be on FF, though, because it contains images and the format on FF won't let me post those. So if you want to read it, look for it on my Tumblr or AO3 accounts (my penname is notthetoothfairy on both, just like on here). :)**_

 _ **And now... enjoy the update! There are two more chapters to come afterwards!**_

* * *

 **\- I Can't Stand This Indecision -**

Christmas break comes to its end and soon enough, they all find themselves back in their school routine. Mr. Schue is back to his tireless methods, making them do countless numbers that they will never actually get to perform on stage for Regionals. It makes Santana roll her eyes, Tina stomp her foot in frustration and Rachel go downright ballistic when it comes to her precious solos.

If moving back home made Quinn perk up significantly, the added rush of her rekindling relationship with Puck has her buzzing with new-found energy. When people other than Kurt or Blaine comment on it, she shrugs and tells them it's her pregnancy glow. Kurt has a suspicion that Santana is the only one not buying it but he lets it go when he realizes that she is not going to say anything.

They might all partly be distracted by another new couple in the Glee club. Apparently, as Blaine tells Kurt happily, Sam did finally work up the nerve to ask out Mercedes, and they've been going on a few official dates. Kurt immediately calls in an emergency catch-up movie night with Mercedes and scolds her for keeping her crusha secret.

She rolls her eyes at him. "Yeah, right, Mr. Blaine-and-I-are-just-friends."

Kurt blushes and lets her call him a hypocrite for the rest of the night.

Most of the seniors are excitedly awaiting the answers from their respective universities of choice so the lack of drama in Glee club isn't all that surprising. Mr. Schue certainly seems to think that it is a refreshing change but personally, Kurt would prefer the drama over the anxiety of not knowing what is future is holding in store for him.

It's early February when the first letters finally start flowing in.

It starts with a letter from Julliard for Blaine – rejected. Kurt is on the phone with him when Blaine reads it, distress evident in his intonation.

"It's only the first of many schools to send their letters," Kurt reminds him.

True to his word, a few days later, they both get invited to audition for two of the smaller schools, different ones, but thankfully within the greater NYC area so that moving to New York together is definitely staying on the agenda.

Kurt gets a rejection from another small school. Thankfully, it is the one of the three back-up schools that interested him the least. It only made his list of potential schools because of the extensive range of practical classes in costume design. Its performing arts department, on the other hand, pales in comparison to Kurt's other options, so Kurt doesn't let it get the refusal get to him.

A few days later, Blaine gets acceptance letters from two liberal arts colleges. Granted, they are his least favorite options, but they do offer solid programs in acting and playwriting. One of Blaine's top choice schools rejects him but offers him an exclusive spot in its impressive summer program that offers introductory courses in composing and music education.

"You should take that opportunity," Rachel tells him over lunch, madly gesticulating with a cherry tomato speared on her fork. "I've read that NYADA takes mid-semester transfer requests into account if the applicants have already gained experience in a relevant field of study. Of course, as you know, NYADA is first and foremost a stage school, meaning teaching isn't part of NYADA's curriculum, but you could score some points with composing, I guess. After all, there wouldn't be any plays us actors could star in if nobody was composing them."

Kurt isn't quite sure if her advice is more condescending or helpful but Blaine seems to decide that she means well and smiles at her while they discuss his options.

* * *

NYADA still hasn't sent in their letters and both Kurt and Rachel are getting a little bit antsy, Rachel going on and on about the notoriously slow New York mail. Kurt wants to point out that their other school choices would also be affected by that problem but somehow, Rachel's incessant rambling calms him down – it makes him feel like she is worrying enough for the both of them. Blaine constantly reminds them that all the other schools are just responding early and that NYADA is probably just one of those schools that take their schedules very seriously and takes them both out for a coffee and a more detailed motivational speech.

The morning after Blaine's little pep talk, Kurt wakes up to his phone vibrating furiously on his nightstand.

 _Who on earth calls this ea- oh, of course, who else?_

"'lo?" he mumbles sleepily.

"Kurt!" Rachel's ebullient voice rings through the speaker. "Kurt, Kurt, Kurt!"

"Yes, you pressed the 'call Kurt' button," Kurt says, yawning his way into a scowling expression, "and – oh wonder! – you got Kurt. Isn't technology amazing?"

"You're awfully tense for someone who just woke up from their beauty sleep," Rachel sing-songs. "But there's important business to discuss."

"Oh?"

"Go to your mailbox."

"Are you making me check my emails before 6 am?! God, Rachel what is wrong-"

"I mean the one in front of your house, Kurt," she interrupts.

"Oh my- you mean?! No!"

"Yes," Rachel insists, confirming his assumption. "The letters are here."

* * *

They made a pact not to open their letters until they're both in school, so Kurt parks his car frantically and rushes Finn out of the car when he takes longer than usual to get his bag from the backseat.

"Dude, relax, the content of the letter is not going to change, no matter how long it takes for you to get to the choir room," Finn says defensively when Kurt almost crushes his fingers by slamming the car door shut.

Kurt is too fed up with waiting and practically flees the parking lot, leaving a slightly annoyed Finn to run after him.

"See, Rachel isn't even here yet," Finn pants once they reach the choir room but the signature stomping of excited but small footsteps in the hallway announce Rachel's presence about half a minute before she actually enters the room.

"Kurt, I'm here, I'm here!" she yells when she rounds the corner. Her hair looks a bit ruffled and she's got a bit of an eye twitch. Finn actually takes a step backwards as he takes her appearance in.

"Whoa, are you okay?" he asks, voice full of concern.

"Huh?" she mutters. "Oh, yeah, I just- oh, for the love of-" She rummages through her bag before she finally retrieves her letter. "There it is." She looks back to Finn. "I'm fine, why?"

"Uh, n-no reason," Finn stammers.

Under normal circumstances, Kurt would find it amusing to watch Finn backpedal like that, but he is too nervous to conjure up the patience.

"Enough with the chit-chat!" he squawks. "I really need to know what's in this letter _right now_."

Finn mumbles an apology and watches them tear open their letter on the count of three.

There is a long stretch of silence while they both pull out the letter from the envelope and unfold the paper with similarly shaking hands.

"What does it say, guys?" Finn asks excitedly. Rachel shushes him, perusing the letter with frantic eyes.

"Oh my god," she says.

"What the…" Kurt utters.

They stare at each other, not really knowing how to proceed.

"Who goes first?" Kurt asks at the same time as Rachel suggests, "Together?"

Kurt nods at her.

Rachel exhales. "Okay," she says. "One, two, three-"

"I'm a finalist!" they both yell at the same time and start hopping up and down into each others' arms, at some point pulling Finn in, too.

They both start to cry so hard it merges into a laugh at some point and then they laugh so hard that they start to cry again.

"Should I call my mom?" Finn jokes. "She's a nurse, maybe she knows how to help you."

"Oh! I need to call my dad!" Kurt grabs his phone from his messenger back. "He went crazy when I wouldn't open the letter before he went to work."

His dad picks up on the first ring.

"No suspenses, Kurt, just lay it on the line," Burt says in one breath.

"I'm a finalist, dad," Kurt whispers into the phone.

His dad makes some unintelligible, but undoubtedly celebratory noises. "I'm so happy for you, Kurt!" he finally says. "I knew you could do it."

"Thanks, dad."

"Have you told Blaine yet?"

"No, he isn't here yet. I texted him to come to school as soon as possible, though. I can't wait to tell him."

"Tell him what, tell him what, tell him what?" Blaine asks as he rushes into the choir room with a slightly out-of-breath Quinn trailing behind him. Her growing belly makes it hard for her to keep up with everyone lately.

"There he is," Kurt tells his dad and thrusts the letter into Blaine's face. "Look for yourself!"

"Oh my god, Kurt!" Blaine shouts. "That is amazing, I knew you'd make it! Wow, I love you so much!"

Burt chuckles. "He's excited, huh?"

"Very," Kurt breathes out in between hugs from both Quinn and Blaine.

After he hangs up on his dad, Quinn steps forward shyly. "While we're at it," she says slowly and holds up a letter that she had been hiding behind her back. "I have news."

"Is that from Yale?"

"Uh-uh." She nods and bites her lip.

"Did you get in?"

"Uh-uh," she repeats and her lip pops out from under her teeth and stretches into a big smile.

Everyone but Blaine, who must have heard the news before them, rushes in to hug Quinn and congratulate her. Even Finn makes an effort to be happy for her. He has been trying hard to get back to being friends with Quinn but Kurt knows he is still struggling a bit.

Over Quinn's shoulder, Kurt catches Blaine look into space with an unreadable expression.

"What about your Yale letter?" he asks.

Blaine shrugs and for a split second, Kurt can detect a flash of disappointment on his face. "Haven't gotten it yet," he says, back to his chipper self. "Quinn got in through early admissions."

Kurt moves from Quinn to Blaine and hugs him again. "Don't worry, it'll be here soon. And we're still waiting for our NYU letters, right?"

"Right," Blaine mutters, averting his gaze. It sounds a bit dejected to Kurt's ears.

"Hey, hey, hey," he says quietly, ducking his head and tilting Blaine's chin up at the same time so they can meet halfway. "Look at me."

Blaine pulls his lips in and looks at Kurt expectantly.

"You have lots of options, okay?" Kurt says gently. "And we're both going to New York. With Rachel. You already got accepted into two schools, no auditions needed. That's more than Rachel and I have right now." A nod from Blaine is all he gets in response, so he continues, "We're all going to make it, don't worry. You're going to wait for your letters from Yale and NYU and stay calm because you are amazing and any school that rejects you isn't worth your time, anyway."

Blaine smiles. "Thanks."

"What for?" Kurt says. "I only speak the truth."

"Are you up for celebratory coffee today after school?" Blaine asks and Kurt instinctively knows it's a little more than just a celebration for his sake – it's much-needed comfort for Blaine as well.

He smiles. "Can we get cheesecake, too?"

" _Of course_ we're getting cheesecake, Kurt."

Kurt giggles. "That's what I like to hear."

* * *

Only two days later, they both get mail from NYU. Kurt's parents aren't home but he finds the letter waiting for him on his desk when he comes home from Cheerios practice. He is just about to pick the letter up when his phone rings.

"You, too?" he asks as soon as the call connects.

"Yup," Blaine says.

"Have you opened yours yet?"

Blaine gives an embarrassed laugh. "I really couldn't wait."

"Tell me, come on, come on, come on," Kurt urges.

"They…" Blaine pauses. "They want me to audition!"

Kurt yelps. "Oh my god! Oh – my – god! That is so amazing, Blaine! Tell me what it says, tell me everything!"

"Save that for later, open your own!" Blaine orders.

Kurt does as he's told, opening one side of the envelope and fingering out the letter shakily.

He sighs. "Rejection."

"Really?" Blaine's voice goes from excited to empathic with just that one word.

"Yes," Kurt scans the letter. "'Dear Mr. Hummel, the admissions office of New York University has carefully reviewed your application and your supporting credentials.' Blah, blah, blah, they tell me how many students they have." He frowns. "As if that is important information to someone who gets rejected… anyway. Then they write, 'We are sorry to inform you that we are unable to offer you admission to our institution this year.'"

Blaine's voice is soft and compassionate when he says, "I'm so sorry, Kurt."

"No, it's fine," Kurt says and forces the letter back into the envelope. "I told you I wasn't expecting any schools to find my application very convincing… I'm surprised I even made it into the NYADA finalists pool."

"Hey, but you did, so you must be wrong about your application," Blaine counters. He hums in concentration for a few seconds before asking, "So, now we both have two auditions, right?"

Kurt scrunches his nose. "I hope I don't have to actually resort to the other one."

"What? Why not?"

"Well, let's see. It's not NYADA, they don't offer private voice lessons, there are no scouts coming to local schools so I'd have to go to New York for the audition and spend a lot of money that I technically don't have... oh yeah, and Rachel will kill me if I don't go to NYADA with her," Kurt rattles off his list.

"So you'll see how your NYADA audition goes and decide if you still want to go to your second audition afterwards?"

"Yep," Kurt says, letting the "p" pop. "I guess I just really want it to be NYADA. I just… don't want to let that dream go."

"Well, we'll just have to make sure to get your butt into that program then," Blaine says softly.

"I think I have to get my butt into shape first," Kurt quips.

His words make Blaine chuckle. "Um, excuse me," he teases, "but unless your butt changed its form since I last saw it, I'd say that won't be necessary."

"Blaine," Kurt warns playfully but his burning cheeks are betraying his level-headed tone. "Do we need to have a discussion about how it is borderline creepy to keep track of your boyfriend's butt shape?"

"Hey, it's for science," Blaine protests. "And, uh, if we keep talking about this, I actually might have to hang up on you." He pauses. "You know… also for science."

Kurt almost drops his phone. He is pretty sure that his whole body is on fire. If Blaine is implying what he thinks he is implying, then this is probably the closest they've gotten to maybe – hopefully – re-establishing their rule.

The rule was Blaine's idea. The morning after Rachel's party, on New Year's Day, they had woken up with their limbs tangled and content smiles on their sleepy faces. After trading some slow kisses with Blaine for a few minutes and realizing that he quite liked waking up next to his boyfriend, Kurt had pulled Blaine closer by the waist and opened his mouth slightly to give Blaine more access. Their kisses had turned dirty and Kurt had felt like all of his nerves were buzzing with a needy energy turning every inch of him into a sensitive mess. But more importantly, he had also felt a hand snake up his leg until it rested on his backside and hips coming closer until there was little to no space left between their bodies.

Just a simple touch like that had made Kurt so dizzy that he had had to pull his mouth off Blaine and call a time-out.

After a lot of embarrassed rambling on Kurt's side and numerous apologies on Blaine's, Kurt had taken a deep breath and blurted, "I liked it, Blaine."

"Then what…?" Blaine had asked, confused.

"I liked it _a lot_ ," Kurt had clarified. "Maybe a bit too much."

"Oh." Blaine had looked adorably shy when he added, "I, uh- I liked it, too."

Kurt had ducked his head with a blush. "Good to know."

"Look, I-" Blaine had started, shaken his head and rephrased, "Just because we both liked it doesn't mean we have to be ready to do… more."

"Uh-huh," Kurt had agreed, apparently no longer capable of grasping the concept of speech and whole words at the prospect of doing… _more_ with Blaine.

"So, maybe we should keep things… north of the equator for now?"

Kurt had licked his lips and held back a squeak at the sight of Blaine following the movement with his eyes. "I, uh," he had stammered and told himself to get a grip. "I think that's a reasonable plan."

Their agreement worked. From there on, they kept things strictly above the waist, to Kurt's relief at first, because he truly didn't think he was ready, and then, after some _very_ promising but prematurely interrupted make-out sessions, well past the point of relief and more accurately verging on utter frustration.

Somehow, they managed to dodge the topic until now. Well, on Kurt's part, that's mostly because he just didn't know how to say _hey, I'm ready to have sex now, please and thank you_ without sounding like an idiot even in the privacy of his own head.

But now. Now Blaine is saying things. Starting a conversation that Kurt could smoothly work into how much he wants Blaine to touch his butt again. And possibly other body parts.

"Kurt?" Blaine asks with an amused chuckle, but Kurt think he also detects a trace of apprehension.

"Ah, sorry," Kurt says, realizing that he must have been silent for quite some time, and mentally slaps himself on the back of his head. Of course he had to space out. Way to ruin his chances of sneaking his interest into the conversation _smoothly_. "You, uh, you lost me for a second there."

"I keep digging my own grave with these situations, don't I?"

Kurt wishes he could see Blaine right now because it would be so much easier to figure out if Blaine was just joking when he more or less told Kurt he was going to hang up to… well, adjust his antenna, as he once heard Santana put it.

Maybe he would blush or smile in that bashful way of his that makes Kurt's stomach all tingly like the butterflies he feels whenever he's around Blaine are trying to escape.

Maybe he'd look at Kurt all teasing and cheeky and _hot_ , so that Kurt would have a good excuse to just tackle and kiss him and tell him how ready he is for more in the heat of the moment instead of over the phone when he has no way of downplaying his embarrassment by, say, seducing Blaine into oblivion.

Or maybe Blaine's facial expression would tell Kurt that he wasn't ready yet and that they should wait a while longer, in which case Kurt wouldn't have to worry about being the one to initiate such a conversation.

It's an awful lot of _maybe_ s and a significant lack of clarity. Still, Kurt is just seconds away from going out on a limb on the off chance that Blaine is actually still interested in talking about it after Kurt has kept quiet for so long, when Blaine follows up his question with a frustrated groan.

"Kurt, we- we don't have to talk about this if you don't want to, just tell me please so I can stop worrying and possibly, I don't know, bake you cookies so you won't be mad at me or-"

Kurt clears his throat, effectively cutting Blaine off. Sometimes he forgets that Blaine might be just as nervous about things as he is.

"No, I, um-" Kurt starts hoarsely, "I think I would like to talk about it."

His voice got super quiet towards the end of the sentence and he isn't sure if Blaine caught it but there is a sigh of relief on the other line, followed by a small chuckle.

"Okay… do you- uh, do you want to go first?"

"I don't really know what to say," Kurt admits.

"Well, do you have any questions?" Blaine asks awkwardly.

Kurt has to laugh despite himself. "Oh god, that makes it sound like I'm talking to Miss Holiday or having another sex talk with my dad."

"But this is about sex, yeah?"

"Wasn't that obvious?" Kurt deadpans, a little tense.

"I thought I might be reading the signs wrong," Blaine mutters.

"Blaine, you're the one who started this conversation."

"Because you were talking about your butt!"

"Metaphorically," Kurt counters.

"Well, metaphoric or not, I couldn't help thinking about its, uh… literal counterpart." Blaine clears his throat. "Sorry."

"Jesus," Kurt mutters and suddenly has to chuckle at their antics. "Shouldn't this be much simpler?"

"What should be?" Blaine asks.

"This whole… talk," Kurt says impatiently. "Can't I just tell you that I want to have sex with you and ask you if you want the same thing without feeling like an idiot?"

As soon as the words are out, he _does_ feel like an idiot. But, oh well, no chance to take it back now. As much as he feels like he's crawling out of his skin, his bluntness also feels slightly empowering.

"Kurt," Blaine breathes out. "You're not an idiot."

"Is that your answer?" Kurt croaks.

"No." Blaine hesitates for a second. "My mom isn't home tonight and Quinn is at Puck's, how is that for an answer?"

Kurt gulps. "Um, I- okay," he stutters.

"Oh god, I wasn't suggesting that we just go all the way, like, right away, today, or- ugh, I don't know," Blaine mutters, sounding somewhat panicky. "I meant we could be alone and talk, like, face to face, instead of on the phone?"

Kurt stays silent, not really knowing how to put into words that, no, he definitely did think that Blaine was inviting him over for sex, and that he wouldn't oppose that _at all_ but that he doesn't want to pressure Blaine either. Well, maybe he should say just that… but his stupid tongue just won't budge.

"Am I making this worse?" Blaine asks sadly.

 _Get a grip, Kurt, don't let him do this all by himself, he's nervous, too. At least take him up on his offer to talk._

"No, you're fine," Kurt says earnestly. "I think talking in person is a great idea. I hate that I can't see your face right now."

A long sigh on the other line tells him that Blaine has been holding his breath for a while.

"Okay, well, I'm here, just come over whenever you want."

* * *

An hour later, Kurt is standing in front of Blaine's door, feeling like a wreck of nerves and sweat, even though he took a calming shower before driving over. Of course the shower wasn't only meant to be calming – there is also a part of Kurt that wonders if – or, actually, hopes that – something might happen tonight after all.

He just doesn't know what to _expect_ and he rings the doorbell with a thudding heart.

He tells himself that they are just going to have a civil, grown-up conversation. It's going to be just fine.

But when Blaine opens the door, looking positively delectable in a long-sleeved black Henley shirt and mustard skinny jeans, a lopsided smile on his face to greet Kurt with, Kurt throws caution in the wind and just throws his arms around his boyfriend and kisses him deeply.

"Wow, hi," Blaine mutters against his lips, "I'm, uh, glad to see you too. But-"

Kurt pulls back immediately. "Sorry, sorry, sorry," he rasps. "I'm just- nerves, sorry."

Blaine smiles and gently links their fingers. "Hey, it's okay," he says. "I'm not complaining… it's just that we wanted to talk and, um-"

"I know, I know," Kurt says, letting himself smirk at Blaine for a second. "Tackling you to the ground on your front porch is… counterproductive."

"A little," Blaine admits with a little grin of his own. "So, do you want to go upstairs?"

"Yeah." Kurt takes off his boots and his coat and follows Blaine to his room.

The lights are dimmed, there's soft music coming from the stereo, and the pillows on Blaine's bed a propped up against the headboard so that they can sit comfortably. Blaine is already sitting down on the right side of the bed, but Kurt needs a moment to take it all in. He does so with bated breath.

Noticing Kurt's lingering gaze, Blaine sits up a little straighter. "Um, I wanted to… make this more comfortable, you know, I was even going to get us some cheesecake but Quinn needed my car and I-"

"There's no cheesecake?" Kurt asks with a fake horrified gasp before plumping down onto the left side of the bed and scooting all the way up until he can rest the side of his body against the pillow, facing Blaine. "You don't need cheesecake to lure me into your home, you know," he teases.

"I was trying to go for a more romantic setting," Blaine protests softly.

"This is incredibly romantic, Blaine." Kurt lifts up one hand to stroke Blaine's arm lightly. "I really don't need anything but _you_ for a romantic setting."

"Good." Blaine twists his body a little to face Kurt completely as well. "So…"

"So," Kurt repeats after him. "Talking."

"Right."

"To be honest, I still don't know what to say," Kurt says, rolling his eyes at himself.

"Well, you said you wanted to have sex," Blaine prompts hesitantly. "Maybe we should start there."

Kurt nods, feeling himself blush. "Okay," he says. "I guess that's still accurate."

"You guess?"

"Well… not, like, _everything_. Not right away, I mean." Kurt cringes. Why does he have to feel so awkward?

Blaine saves him from going any further with the explanation. "No, of course, that's okay," he says at once. "I don't think I'd be ready for that, either."

"Okay." Kurt bites his lip and looks down at their hands, only a few inches apart. He moves one of his fingers closer and brushes the tips of their fingers together. It used to be what he thought of sex when he was younger. The touch of a fingertip. "What _are_ you ready for?"

Blaine takes a deep breath. "I was thinking we could re-negotiate the rule?"

Kurt smiles, the butterflies in his stomach fluttering awake immediately at Blaine's words. So he _was_ on the right track earlier on the phone.

"I'm up for that," he says, inching closer to Blaine. "Actually, I was thinking we could… abolish it completely?"

Blaine looks up at him in surprise. "But you just said-"

"I know," Kurt cuts in. "I just don't think the rule is working."

"Oh," Blaine says, a little sheepishly. "I thought it was what we wanted."

"At first," Kurt says. "But then it became this red warning sign that said 'don't go there, trespassers will be shot'."

"Wow."

"Okay, not _exactly_ like that, it's just-"

"You could have just said something," Blaine says, sounding a bit miffed.

"Fuck, I'm getting this all wrong." Kurt exhales slowly and steels himself for another explanation, hopefully better one this time. "Let me explain?" Blaine nods and with a small sigh of relief, Kurt continues, "I loved that we had our boundaries. It was great because I wasn't ready and you weren't ready… it was safe. But at some point, my boundaries- I don't know, shifted? And the rule was sort of in the way. And not just, you know, physically... I just didn't know if it included us talking about it or not."

Blaine sighs. "Of course it included talking," he says gently. "I mean, it was meant to be temporary, of course we had to talk about it at some point. I just wish I hadn't made you feel like you couldn't say anything."

"It's not you," Kurt assures him. "We both agreed on the rule."

Blaine seems to ponder Kurt's suggestion for a while and Kurt suddenly fears he went way too far.

"If you still want the rule, we can keep it," he says quietly. "What I meant is that it stopped working for _me_. But if you feel like you need it-"

"I don't," Blaine cuts in, taking Kurt's right hand in both of his. "It just sounded like you were unhappy with it from the very start."

"I wasn't."

"Okay, so what you're saying is you want the rule to be gone so we can explore more without feeling… limited?"

Kurt nods and smiles at Blaine feebly, hoping he isn't messing up as badly as he feels he is.

"That sounds reasonable," Blaine says. "As long as we're both able to put a stop to things we don't want."

"Of course," Kurt says quickly. "No pressure."

"Okay." Blaine licks his lips before biting his lower one shyly. "So now that we don't have a rule, what do you want-"

"Can you just kiss me?" Kurt blurts, cheeks probably beet-red but really, all this talking is making him very light-headed and also quite hot and maybe they should open up a window.

Blaine chuckles softly and leans in to kiss him, complete with a smacking sound that makes both of them smile. When Blaine backs off after just one kiss, though, Kurt rolls his eyes and pulls him back in by his arms. Blaine makes a surprised little 'oomph' sound against his lips that Kurt cuts off by deepening the kiss. He slides his hands from Blaine's arms to his neck to caress the skin there, making Blaine tilt his head back and forth for better access. When he feels that his boyfriend is sufficiently silenced, he moves his kisses to Blaine's jaw because he knows from some of their most glorious make-out sessions that it never fails to get Blaine completely breathless.

Somehow, Blaine still manages to pant, "But what about, uhh… the talking?"

Kurt leans back a little and mumbles, "I just want to be close to you. Clos _er_ , I mean." A little abashed, he adds, "I just don't really know what I want yet. Is that okay?"

"Of course it's okay," Blaine says, trailing a finger along Kurt's hairline and cheekbone, mapping his face out and making Kurt shiver pleasantly. "Maybe we could just start out slow, see where things take us? And if anything gets too much, we'll stop."

Kurt nods eagerly. That is exactly what he was missing with the rule in place. The feeling of being able to just… experiment. With veto rights.

Blaine smiles, pushes Kurt back onto the pillows until he is half-sitting against them, and moves to kneel in the space between Kurt's legs. He takes Kurt's face in his hands and kisses him soundly, a little on the dirty side of things. Kurt lets out a low, throaty moan that he'd feel embarrassed about if he wasn't suddenly acutely aware that they are, in fact, taking things to the next level.

Completely entranced, Kurt lets himself drown in the feeling of Blaine's body against his.

* * *

Love, Kurt realizes half an hour later, comes in many shapes and forms. It is being smiled at from across the desk in English class, sharing a steaming cup of coffee in the Lima Bean, and lip-synching hip hop songs together when there's nothing good on TV. Love is the way Blaine says his name, how he scrunches up his nose when he's being cheeky, and how he cares with so much passion for everyone in his life. It's the way Kurt misses Blaine when they've seen each other just minutes ago, how he wants to doodle their names in a goofy little heart in his notebook, and how he feels like he can do anything as long as Blaine is right there beside him.

And now, love is also being held by Blaine in the best, most intense way possible, messy and sweaty and hot, but also tender and intimate and unforgettable. It's pure bliss.

He wants to tell Blaine exactly that but his brain is having a hard time handling words and feelings and _sensations_ all at the same time.

"Wow, that was…" he gasps instead, letting the words hang in the air between them.

Blaine snuggles up to him happily, resting his head on Kurt's chest. "I know."

Kurt lets out a little pleased sigh, kisses Blaine's forehead and wiggles into a more comfortable position, as comfortable as he can get with his sticky boxer briefs sitting unusually low on his hips. He'd suggest a change of clothes but Blaine doesn't seem to mind all that much and already looks like he is about to doze off. Kurt can't bring himself to tell Blaine to move, not when he looks so peaceful in Kurt's arms.

Kurt still is a bit overwhelmed by all the feelings he can't put into words, but wants to get _something_ off his chest before it makes his summersaulting heart implode.

"Hey," he says, quietly, so that he doesn't startle Blaine. "I really love you a lot."

Blaine makes a content humming noise. "You, too," he says sleepily and kisses the patch of skin right next to Kurt's clavicle since it's probably the only place he can reach without having to move his head.

Kurt smiles happily and lets himself drift off as well.

After napping for about an hour, they wake up with rumbling stomachs, so they decide to take turns in the shower and make a quick, simple dinner.

"Spaghetti carbonara okay with you?" Blaine asks, ruffling his wet hair with a towel and darting in to give Kurt a peck on the cheek before he clears the bathroom to make way for Kurt.

"Sure," Kurt says and doesn't even try to keep from raking his eyes over Blaine's towel-clad body. Because he can. And for science.

* * *

Kurt is ready to call it a night – maybe one of the best he's ever had, actually – when his phone lights up with a new text and he sits back up in bed to check it.

 _I miss you already. Come back. – B_

 _We see each other every day, Blaine. – K_

 _You know what I mean. – B_

 _Why, yes, I do. – K_

 _I miss you too, actually. – K_

He tucks himself under the warm blanket and places his phone right next to his head so he can wait for a response from Blaine. He can't get the feeling of Blaine's body on top of his out of his head, and doesn't even notice, until a new text message comes in, that he's been stroking the edges of his phone in blissful reminiscence.

 _Are we being ridiculous? – B_

 _I thought that was implied by my very mature and level-headed response to your first text. – K_

 _So you think that *I* am ridiculous and you're citizen of the year in prudence town? – B_

 _Sounds about right. – K_

 _Nooooooo. :( – B_

 _Jokes aside, though… – K_

 _? – B_

 _You're not ridiculous, you're beautiful and perfect. In every way. I love you. – K_

 _Kurt – B_

 _I love you so much, you don't even know. You're gorgeous and wonderful and sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am. – B_

 _Look at us, citizens of the year in sappy town. :) – K_

 _Is there a better place on earth? – B_

 _I'm gonna drive the point home but whatever… yeah, there is. Your arms. – K_

 _You're ridiculous too, yay. – B_

 _Don't tell anyone. – K_

* * *

It's Wednesday, a week since they got their NYADA letters, and Kurt is seriously concerned as to why on earth Rachel hasn't come to him with a super foolproof audition plan yet. It is very unlike her to waste just a second of her breath not to talk about NYADA, and racking his brain for any hints she might have dropped within the past few days, he realizes that they haven't spoken much.

He spent his lunch breaks at the Glee table as usual but Rachel claimed to be busy over lunch for three out of five school days. Something must be going on. She didn't talk to him about NYADA in Glee club, either, just focusing on improving their group numbers and, of course, her solos for Regionals, which are coming up next month, just one week before their audition.

Kurt has been so wrapped up in receiving letters from prospective schools that he didn't pay much attention. But now that all of the anxiety is gone, he can't help but frown at Rachel's lack of enthusiasm.

When he comes home from cheerleading, he decides to call her and see if she wants to spend the afternoon with him. The phone rings for a long time until it goes to voicemail.

Maybe she tripped and fell and swapped bodies with someone who was very decidedly not Rachel Berry?

Worried, Kurt decides to swing by her house and see if she's there. At the very least, he can ask Mr. and Mr. Berry if they know anything.

When he arrives at her place, he remembers that her dads work late shifts. _Let's hope she's home then_ , he thinks.

He waits for a long time after ringing the bell but finally, the door swings open and reveals Rachel in her pink pajamas and uncharacteristically mussed hair. He hasn't seen her like that since the laryngitis incident.

"Kurt!" she exclaims, loudly – no laryngitis then – and in an alarmed voice.

"Are you sick?" he asks, looking her up and down with what he hopes is not a too judgmental stare.

"No," she says. "I, uh- I'm busy."

Kurt raises an eyebrow. "Doing what? I'm worried, Rachel. You haven't said anything about NYADA, you haven't even told me what song you're auditioning with."

"I'm working on that," Rachel says quickly.

"You are?"

"Yes, yes," Rachel replies, slipping back into her usual self-confident, haughty air. "I've been working on song choices for the both of us, actually, but I can't share it with you unless it's absolutely perfect. I'll probably be done by the end of this week."

"Okay," Kurt says slowly. It sounds plausible but it doesn't explain the outfit and the hair. "Why do you look like… well, like that?"

Rachel's hand flies up to her hair. "Oh!" she says, visibly flustered. "I had to take a nap after school, I was so exhausted. Do you know how much time it takes to come up with the perfect audition song? I've lost a lot of sleep over this, Kurt."

Kurt feels bad immediately. She is doing all of this for them, without having been asked, and he's interrogating her like she's a criminal. Motioning towards the house with a frown, he suggests, "Let me help?"

"No!"

"Why not?" he asks with a frown.

"I'm still half-asleep, I can't work right now," she says. "Plus, I know how indecisive you are with choosing songs, you'll just slow me down."

"Oh my god, did I wake you up?" Kurt asks. He still feels like there is something she's not telling him but she looks disheveled and it did take her a long time to open the door, so he figures that napping can't be too far from the truth.

"Yes, you did," she says, frank as ever.

"Sorry," Kurt says at once. "I'll just- I'll leave you to your sleep."

"Thanks," she says primly.

Before he's turned around completely, he looks back and says, "Hey, Rach?"

"Yes?"

"You know, you can tell me anything, right?"

She still seems a bit cross that he interrupted her nap but a little smile plays around her mouth. "I know. Thanks, Kurt."

He doesn't press further and decides to let her be for now. If there is something she really wants to tell him, he'll just be waiting for her to come out with it.

* * *

True to her word, Rachel texts him on Sunday night to let him know that she has a list ready and asking him to meet him in the choir room at lunch time the next day.

When he shows up, she's already doing warm-ups by the piano. She seems to be herself again, then.

"Hey, Rachel, I-" he starts but gets shushed immediately.

"Our time is limited and we have important things to discuss," she says, all business. She saunters over to the far end of the piano and grabs a huge stack of papers that she practically thrusts into Kurt's hands. "This is your song selection for the audition."

Kurt almost weeps when the realization sinks in that she is giving him a "list" in form of a pile of papers.

"Wait, are you serious?" he groans, scanning the sheet and finding about a dozen song titles with annotations on the first page alone. "Shouldn't we narrow this down a bit?"

Rachel gives him a dubious look. "That _is_ narrowed down," she says.

"Rachel, these are like, what, fifty pages?"

"Sixty-seven," she replies without batting an eye.

Kurt lets the pile plump back onto the piano, flipping through the pages. Each of them has about the same amount of songs on them as the first one.

"I can't believe you called _me_ indecisive," Kurt mutters.

"Anyway, as I was saying, our time today is limited, so-"

"Are you expecting me to pick a song right now?" Kurt asks incredulously.

Rachel takes a sip from her water bottle before bending deep to do some stretching exercises.

"The sooner, the better," she tells him with her head upside down, her fingers stretching out to touch the tip of her toes. "But I understand if you need some time to think it through. We can just try some of your favorites out for now."

Kurt sighs. "Okay then, give me a minute – or ten – to look through this list."

She doesn't comment, instead stretching her body up to the ceiling and breathing loudly.

"So where is your booklet- sorry, I mean list?" Kurt asks while he circles some songs on page 16 that seem appealing to him.

Rachel interrupts her glissando warm-up with a short, "I don't have one."

Kurt turns around to stare at her. "You don't have one," he deadpans.

"I don't need one," she says. "My whole life has been leading up to this. I've been practicing since I was two years old. I know exactly which song to sing."

"You're auditioning with _Don't Rain On My Parade_?" Kurt asks.

"Exactly."

"Isn't that… a bit too easy?"

"Excuse me?" She throws her hair back and really, was that girl _born_ in a drama? "That song is anything but easy, Kurt."

"No, I know," Kurt says. "But… you know this song inside-out. I just thought you'd challenge yourself a bit instead of going with the safest option."

"Kurt, it's an audition, not a showcase," Rachel replies. "But I knew you'd think like that. That's why I color-coded all of the songs on your list. Red is for "risky", yellow is for "with enough practice" and green is for-"

"Safe," Kurt finishes for her, frowning at his currently circled songs – he picked only red and yellow ones.

"It's not a bad thing to play things safe," Rachel insists, and walks over to the piano to look over his shoulder. "See, this one, for example." She points to _Not The Boy Next Door_ , circled by Kurt, marked red by Rachel. "It's a great song and it's well within your range, normally, but if you add nerves and potential sickness and the fast pace of the song, it might as well be your swan song."

He bites his lip, eyeing the list in frustration. She has a point, of course. Nerves could make him sound pitchy, he could always catch a cold right before the audition and not be able to reach those high notes… and the faster the song, the harder it will be to get every line right. On the other hand, by choosing a safer, slower song, he will miss out on the opportunity of showing off his dance moves. And the song he just circled just oozes a self-confidence that might woo the judges. And if he does reach the high notes, wouldn't that win them over immediately?

He turns back to Rachel. "I don't get why you would even put these songs on the list if you don't think I should sing them."

"Well, it's your audition, Kurt," Rachel says. "I know I can be bossy sometimes but I won't pick your song for you, that's your decision. I just saved you the trouble of having to ask me about my opinion on them by marking them beforehand."

Kurt shakes his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and lets her get back to her warm-ups.

* * *

In the end, he settles for _Music Of The Night_. Rachel approves of his song choice – of course she does, it's marked green, after all – and calls him every day to make sure he is on schedule with his rehearsal process. They arrange weekly sessions with Brad, and bi-weekly ones with Tina, who will be playing Kurt's Christine. Kurt is on the fence about including her, at first, not because he doesn't want Tina there, but because he still isn't sure if he shouldn't just be show up in formal attire and sing the damn song instead of using costumes and props and other people to complete the scene.

Three weeks of rehearsal, Kurt still doesn't feel like the song is _right_. His mind is a mess of new ideas, abandoned plans and growing doubts.

Rachel talks him out of anything he wants to try and into everything she thinks is right and Kurt is starting to doubt that she really does realize how bossy she is.

Blaine comes to his rehearsals every now and then, usually full of praise for Kurt, almost a little too much sometimes, because while Rachel can't shut up about what he did wrong, Blaine can't seem to shut up about what he did right, and neither of those things prove to be helpful when he is trying to find a golden mean that he could actually work with.

One particular rehearsal with Tina and Blaine sends Kurt into a frenzy, and he considers changing _everything_ , considers altering his costume or even forgoing the costume completely and just singing naked.

Tina clears the stage, looking a bit horrified at all of his suggestions – and really, he only said something about him singing in the nude, he didn't suggest… although, what if _she_ lost her clothes, that might be a good idea, too – and Kurt stays behind, pacing nervously. Blaine climbs up the stage and puts two calming hands on his shoulders.

"Hey," he says gently. "I think you should forget practice for today."

"That's the opposite of what I should do, Blaine," Kurt says tiredly. "I only have two more weeks, and Regionals is coming up, too, and-"

Blaine puts a finger to his lips. "Everyone needs a break every now and then. You need one today." He pulls Kurt off the stage. "And that's why I'm coming by your place tonight with a movie and snacks, okay?"

Kurt doesn't protest. A movie night with Blaine does sound nice and much, much needed. Between Glee club chaos and audition madness, Kurt feels like he hasn't seen Blaine in forever. It's ridiculous, of course, because they have classes and clubs together. But as it is, their alone time has been cut short significantly in the last few weeks.

Not to mention their _alone_ alone time. Kurt remembers his first time with Blaine like it was yesterday, but it's starting to get to him that it just simply _wasn't_ yesterday, and that a long enough time has passed since then that he is starting to contemplate pulling Blaine into the nearest empty classroom and having his way with him. He wouldn't, of course. He still blushes hot every time he mulls over the sight of Blaine's almost naked body against his.

And as much as Kurt would really like to make use of the abolition of their rule again, he also just craves a nice, quiet evening with his boyfriend.

So he goes home after cheerleading practice, promising Blaine to stop worrying for today.

It's so much easier said than done, though, and by the time Blaine arrives, Kurt doesn't even hear him coming into the room because he is listening to Phantom songs with his headphones in.

Blaine's hand on his shoulder makes him yelp in shock and almost sends him flying off the chair.

"Oh my god, Blaine!"

"Wow, I'm sorry," Blaine says and steadies Kurt with one arm. The other one, Kurt realizes, is holding a huge supply of comfort food.

Unfortunately for Kurt, his sudden movement also tore his headphones from his computer and the dark, sure voice of a German singer floods his room.

Blaine only quirks an eyebrow but doesn't say anything. Kurt feels like a puppy put in its place.

"See, I told you the Phantom would sound great in German," Kurt mumbles.

"He does." Blaine kneels on the floor and covers Kurt's knees with his hands. "Still doesn't mean you should do it in German."

"But-"

"Try to pronounce the song title."

Kurt glances at his screen. "'Musik der Nacht'," he tries.

Blaine chuckles. "See, that sounded atrocious."

"Gee, thanks," Kurt says with a pout.

Blaine kisses it away. "Professional singers have to learn German diction for years before they are able to sing in German," he reminds him and fixes him with a stern look. "Same goes for French, before you get any ideas."

Kurt sighs. "I know. It's not really the language that's the problem."

"It's the song," Blaine says simply, making Kurt's head snap up.

"You don't like the song?" he asks, horrified.

"No, _you_ don't like the song. Not really."

Kurt is rendered speechless. He wants to protest, but on what grounds? He does like it, but Blaine's right, he's not particularly fond of it either.

"How did you know?" he asks, deflated.

"Kurt, we talk about musicals all the time," Blaine says. "I've never even heard you mention Phantom before."

"Even if I loved it, I'd still be _so_ wrong for the role of the Phantom, wouldn't I? I'd make a better Raoul." Kurt groans at his own stupidity. "What am I gonna do? I can't just change the song two weeks before the audition."

"Sure you can," Blaine says and when Kurt opens his mouth to tell him exactly why that would be bad idea, Blaine adds quickly, "We'll figure something out. Now, I remember you promising me you wouldn't fuss over this anymore today."

Kurt lets his head fall back and huffs. "Well, I just-"

"That's why I'm here," Blaine interrupts. "I brought _Princess Diaries 2_ … you know, for the eye candy, and then I brought all of this," he says, pointing to the snacks, "for actual candy."

Kurt laughs and rubs his face to clear his mind from all the audition trouble. "Okay," he finally decides, getting up from his chair, "make yourself comfortable, I'm getting us something to drink."

As soon as they're settled, both lying on their stomachs on Kurt's bed, the laptop and a bunch of snacks in front of them, Kurt tries to unwind. But however much he tries, he just can't focus on the movie. They're halfway through it when he admits, frustrated, "This isn't working."

"What?" Blaine asks him, keeping his eyes on the screen for a few seconds longer before pausing the movie and turning to face Kurt.

"My mind won't shup it, it's not working."

"Mh," Blaine says vaguely, sitting up and setting the laptop and the snacks on the floor carefully.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asks with a frown.

"Plan B," Blaine says, and moves to straddle his legs instead, leaning forward until his chest is pressed against Kurt's back. Kurt can feel Blaine's heart beating fast through both of their clothes and it's equal parts hot and endearing. Blaine presses an open-mouthed kiss to the spot right under Kurt's left earlobe.

"What's plan B?" Kurt asks with a choked-off moan.

"Distracting you," Blaine whispers and kisses his way down Kurt's neck. Kurt shudders in response and Blaine bolts upright suddenly. "Um, unless you don't want that, in which case we should definitely continue watching-"

"Blaine," Kurt cuts him off and twists his body underneath Blaine until he can face him. Biting his lip, he says, "I do think I could use that distraction."

"Yeah?"

Blaine's hopeful and relieved smile isn't particularly seductive but Kurt really wouldn't have it any other way. He pulls him forward by the collar of his shirt until they're pressed against each other again. Blaine's lips are only an inch away.

"I was actually enjoying that," Kurt admits with what he hopes is only a slight blush, "very much."

He can feel Blaine's shaky breath against his as he pulls just the tiniest bit more so that their lips can touch. The kiss starts out tentative and searching but turns frantic soon enough. They're both panting into each other's mouth by the time Blaine reaches a hand between them.

"So can I…?" Blaine asks shyly, brushing a single finger over Kurt's waistband, like a question of its own.

"Uh-uh," Kurt gets out, too turned on to bother with coherent words.

As it turns out, Kurt responds much better to sensory than visual stimulation.

* * *

Apart from the fact that he is developing quite the Pavlovian reaction to complaining about his audition rehearsals to Blaine, about a week later, he still hasn't decided what to with his song problem. Frankly, he has no idea how to concentrate on it when Rachel is constantly on his back about rehearsals and they all have Regionals to worry about.

For the first time in his time at McKinley, Kurt is glad that Mr. Schue didn't assign him a competition solo. He has no idea how Rachel manages it, but she has a solo and the lead on a group number. Blaine asked not to be given a big solo, so he could focus on his own rehearsals with Brad – his NYU audition is scheduled for the end of March and even though he still has a few more weeks than Rachel and Kurt, he is just as dedicated as them and practices daily.

Kurt even refuses to do the costumes for Regionals. He usually always has a hand in their outfits for showcases and competitions but this time, he has to leave the job to Quinn and Mercedes.

"Make me proud," he tells them with a teasing grin and the two stick out their tongues at him.

Mr. Schue ends up giving a whole song to the girls, putting Santana, Brittany and Mercedes on the lead. Kurt expects a huge fight amongst the girls over the chosen leads but apart from an annoyed groan from Tina, everyone seems to be okay with it. Even Rachel doesn't seem to mind for once that she is only singing back-up in a group number.

Her lack of complaints about missing a perfect opportunity for yet another lead makes Kurt a little suspicious – Rachel must be plotting something. He faintly hopes that it's not a staged accident for any of the girls on lead.

Something must be wrong with her, Kurt decides. She doesn't pester him about his audition at all when he stops by her locker in the morning, instead often mumbling something about important Glee club issues and running off in a direction that is decidedly neither the choir room nor the auditorium. Kurt would think it had something to do with her NYADA audition but that really cannot be it. They have talked about it and rehearsed so much already that Kurt could probably fill in for her if she got sick and deliver an exact replica of her performance. So it can't be about the audition.

What else could Rachel be hiding?

But even though it is unsettling to think that Rachel might be keeping something from him, Kurt doesn't really have the luxury to spend long hours worrying his brain over it, so he just enjoys being dismissed from Glee club early so the girls can practice their number, giving all of the boys in Glee club some time to breathe.

However, even if the boys are less involved in their upcoming set than the girls, Mr. Schue does have kind of demanding plans for Blaine.

"You want me to rap?" Blaine clarifies with wide eyes when Mr. Schue announces the part distribution for their newest mash-up.

"Yes, don't worry, it's really easy," Mr. Schue says. "I do it all the time."

Santana coughs, not very discreetly, but either Mr. Schue doesn't notice or he just doesn't care.

"If you don't want to, I can find us something else to-"

"No, it's fine, I'll try," Blaine says quickly.

Blaine's practice run goes fairly well, even though Kurt does wonder about Mr. Schue's peculiar obsession with rap. With the exception of Artie, none of them ever show any particular interest in doing songs of that genre.

* * *

With Santana, Artie and Blaine agreeing to rapping parts of the song, they finally have a complete set list. On the day of Regionals, Blaine warms up by saying everything really, really quickly.

"That way, the rap will only feel half as fast," he gets out in one breath, when Quinn asks him if he's on drugs with a worried expression on her face.

Quinn just nods confusedly but Rachel appears behind her and looks at Blaine with an excited look. "That is an amazing idea, Blaine," she gushes.

Quinn rolls her eyes and turns to Kurt.

"I swear, those two," she whispers in a playfully exasperated voice. "Sometimes you'd think they were siblings."

"Rachel Berry and siblings?" Kurt comments quietly. "No way."

Quinn laughs. "Anyway," she says, "What do you think of the costumes?"

Kurt feigns indifference and shrugs. "They're okay. I could have done better."

"Oh, screw you," Mercedes says, hugging him from behind. "You love them."

Kurt giggles. "They're really good," he says earnestly, running his fingers through the fabric of Mercedes' flowy dress. "I love the black-gold combination," he adds with a nod to the golden belts and hair bands. The guys have the same color scheme but with golden suspenders and bowties.

Quinn beams. "That was my idea!"

"I taught you well." Kurt winks at her.

Quinn makes a so-so motion with her hand. "We did screw up with the material a little bit. Not on the dresses, I mean, but we bought waaaay to much. We have so much golden cloth left, you could make a a few tents with it."

"And they won't take it back at the store because we already used parts of it," Mercedes adds.

Kurt looks between the two of them, thinking of maybe sewing a golden dress for Beth, or-

"Oh my god," he breathes out. "Can I have all of it, please?"

* * *

The auditorium is packed and the tension backstage is rising steadily. Even though Kurt doesn't have any major parts in the competition and is familiar enough with the dance steps not to mess anything up, he can feel his heartbeat quickening just from empathetic panic. Everybody around him is so jittery and hectic, he can practically feel it rubbing off on him.

"I'm running out of things I can talk about but I need to talk fast so I'll just talk to myself about what I had for breakfast and how much I don't like rapping," Blaine mutters a few feet from him, peeking through the curtains into the rapidly filling rows of seats.

Kurt's mouth twitches and a little giggle bubbles up in his throat. "Honey, relax," he tells Blaine with a fond smile, dragging him away from the curtain. "You have your part down, you're going to be fine."

"What if I trip over the words, Kurt?" Blaine whines, sounding mortified. "It's going to be pathetic."

"That won't happen," Kurt assures him. At the sight of Blaine's doubting grimace, he adds, "If you do trip over the words, I'll pretend to trip over someone's foot so that it makes your slip-up look like peanuts in comparison."

Blaine's eyes widen and he draws in a quick breath. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, but I would," Kurt says. "That's how much faith I have in you. I promise you I will make a complete fool out of myself if you mess up, which you won't, and that's why I'm safe."

Blaine looks like he is about to smile, but then he blanches. "But what if I fail you?" he asks, panic apparently increasing. "Oh god, what if-"

"Blaine." Kurt grabs him by the shoulders, ducks down so they're at eye level, and leans in to kiss him. Blaine is still mumbling panicky thoughts against his lips but Kurt shuts him up with a little help from his tongue, turning Blaine's rambling into muffled sounds before quieting down completely. After a while, Blaine relaxes into him and seems to forget about their surroundings, as he pulls Kurt further into the darkness of one of the stage wings and lets his hands roam over Kurt's body frantically.

Kurt is a little dazed. He clearly didn't think his move through because he neither has the time nor the privacy he would like to have to fully enjoy distracting Blaine from his unnecessary stage fright.

He drags himself away from Blaine's face and is about to muster up enough will power to stop Blaine's hands in their movements, too, when he sees two shadows right behind Blaine.

"Oh." The words leave his mouth before he even understands the display happening in front of his eyes. Once he realizes, and once they realize it as well, he utters another, " _Oh_."

Finn's eyes are almost comically wide and Rachel, still clinging to Finn, is opening and closing her mouth like a fish in an unusually silent attempt to explain the situation.

Blaine, eyes still slightly glazed, turns around, and lets out a little yelp when he spots them.

Rachel is on him in an instant, slapping her hands over his mouth.

"Don't!" she hisses. "We're… trying to be discreet."

"So you decided to make out, like, fifty feet from everyone else?" Kurt whispers incredulously.

Rachel glares at him. "I see we weren't the only ones with that idea."

"Actually, it was really more of a spontaneous ur-" Blaine provides, not very helpfully, and Kurt talks over him quickly.

"That really isn't the point," he cries out, trying to stay quiet when Finn and Rachel shoot him matching horrified looks. "I'd really like to focus on the what, how, and most importantly, _since when_ part of," he gestures vaguely between his step-brother and his best friend, "all of this."

Rachel and Finn start talking at the same time.

"It just happened," Rachel says.

"Since, like, the middle of January," Finn mumbles.

Kurt raises both of his eyebrows. So, apparently, he's an idiot. Of course Rachel has been hiding something. No secret plot to injure fellow Glee clubbers, no sickness that kept her from focusing on the audition. All this time, Rachel has been hiding something completely different – a secret affair with Finn. Considering Kurt's knowledge of both of their crushes, he really should have figured that out faster.

Rachel sends a half-hearted glare in Finn's direction. "Fine, two months," she grumbles.

Blaine furrows his brows. "I don't understand," he says. "Why are you keeping this a secret?"

Finn turns to Rachel. "See, I told you it would be weird if we didn't tell anyone."

Rachel huffs. "It's not weird, Finn," she says stiffly. "We've talked about this." She looks at Kurt and Blaine, rattling down an explanation like she rehearsed it, which she probably did. "We just didn't want anyone to meddle with our relationship. With Quinn's baby, and my history with Puck, and our plans for the future, we didn't want anyone to… judge us, or talk us out of it."

"Rachel," Kurt breathes out. "I would have never talked you out of it."

"Are you sure?" Rachel purses her lips. "You didn't seem that supportive last year."

"Because Finn was still taken," Kurt says softly. "I thought you'd both get terribly hurt if you started something then. I thought it was a bad idea back then."

Finn looks at Kurt and ducks his head a little when Kurt returns his gaze openly. "What do you think now?" he asks shyly, tugging at his suspenders.

"Honestly?" Kurt asks with a smile. "I think it's great. I'm really happy for you."

Blaine nods beside him and the smiles on Rachel and Finn's faces that they get in response could light up the whole backstage area. Rachel flings her arms around Kurt's neck and mumbles incoherent words into his neck.

"Where the hell have you all been?" Santana's voice comes from behind them. "We're almost ready to go on and if that curtain opens to reveal whatever perverted, sicko orgy you are having back here, we'll lose for sure."

With Kurt in their middle, Rachel and Finn manage to look inconspicuous as they pass by Santana and make their way to meet the rest of their group in the dressing rooms.

Blaine and Santana are trailing behind them.

"Ready for our rap, cupcake?" Santana asks casually.

If Kurt had peripheral vision, he'd probably see Blaine's face lose all color at the reminder.

"Santana," Kurt groans. "I just made him forget all about it."

"Wanky," she drawls. "At least he should be all relaxed from the endorphins then."

The squeak Blaine lets out is neither relaxed nor dignified.

* * *

Blaine doesn't mess up and when he turns to Kurt with a triumphant smile on his face once they are backstage again, Kurt pulls him back behind the curtains of the wings and kiss him senseless again while the girls go at it with their group number.

The New Directions win Regionals and marvel not only at the sight of their new trophy but also the fact that they are heading to Nationals twice in a row. Their exuberant afterparty turns into a re-enactment of their Regionals set and at some point, they just start singing and dancing to random songs. Rachel doesn't sing along and explain to anyone who asks that she needs to save her voice, but instead of being obnoxious about it, she looks almost sad that she can't join them.

"Just sing quietly," Finn tells her and nudges her shoulder.

She shakes her head. "Too dangerous," she insists but does throw him a smile.

Kurt does have to hand it to them – for two people whose subtlety is usually inexistent, they actually do manage to be sort of discreet. He smiles to himself as he watches their gaze linger just a fraction longer than it might have if they were actually just friends.

Kurt doesn't sing much either but nobody bothers him about it. Either nobody notices or they all assume that it's for the same reason as Rachel's.

He uses the lack of questions to his advantage and re-plots his audition in his mind. The left-over golden fabric he is getting from Quinn and Mercedes must be a sign, he tells himself.

He doesn't plan on telling Rachel. Not only does she seem to have her hands full with Finn, he also knows that she wouldn't approve. He's not sure he himself is fully on board with what he is about to do.

* * *

He lets Blaine in on his plan, of course, and is met with full support. Blaine is also the one to suggest Mercedes, Brittany and Tina as his back-up singers and dancers. They meet at Kurt's dad's garage for a last-minute rehearsal, Kurt not daring to go to the auditorium where they could run into Rachel and make the whole thing blow up.

The remainder of the week has him feeling like a double agent with conflicting loyalties. Deep down he wants to trust his instincts and go with his new song choice, but the tiny voice at the back of his head that sounds alarmingly similar to Rachel keeps telling him that he will regret his decision forever if he doesn't make it into NYADA.

He enlists Quinn, Mercedes and Blaine to help him with sewing the costumes, and together they come up with an amazing outfit for Kurt and matching dresses for the girls.

Everything is laid out perfectly but Kurt still feels guilty not including Rachel in his decisions. He does go to her one day before the audition, asking for her opinion, even though he knows exactly what she is going to say.

As expected, she tries to talk him out of it as soon as he shares his idea tentatively. As always when Rachel gives him advice from her admittedly successful but also quite high and mighty point of view, he considers backing out again. Rachel even offers to be his Christine and he relents immediately.

Blaine's eyes are wide as he listens to Kurt go on and on about how he should definitely do Phantom and stick with what he knows.

"You told Rachel, didn't you?" Blaine says with a small smile.

Kurt nods, biting his lip.

"Rachel doesn't know that you practiced the song and that you sounded damn good doing it, does she?" Blaine says, rubbing his face with a heavy sigh. "Look, I can't tell you what to do, that's on you, but if I were you, I'd go with the song you enjoy singing the most because it will definitely show in your performance."

Kurt doesn't know what to say to that.

His nerves are raw by the time the scouts are scheduled to show up. He knows that Finn, Blaine and Mr. Schue are in the audience, he has about a dozen texts from his friends telling him good luck, but his heart won't stop beating like it is about to break out of his chest at any second.

It doesn't get much better when Rachel breaks the news to him that against all odds, the scout who just arrived in the auditorium is, in fact, NYADA's most important board member – Dean Carmen Tibideaux. It doesn't accomplish much except make him feel so shaky, he has a faint feeling he might collapse right before Miss Tibideaux's eyes.

His name is called and he is pushed out onto the stage by Rachel.

Against the spotlights, it is hard to recognize the four figures up ahead, even harder so with this damn plastic mask covering half his face. But he knows that the one he should be focusing on is sitting in the middle, her authority strangely emphasized by the quiet presence. She doesn't even say hello.

He introduces himself and the song he is going to sing. He manages to finally see something through the bright lights and is horrified to find her already frowning and taking notes.

Well, this is the ultimate sign, isn't it? He's not meant to sing this song. Rachel can time and time again declare it his safest choice, but it really isn't. It's clichéd, overused, and the easiest way to land himself a spot on the bottom of the paper bin instead of one of the finest performing arts programs in the country.

Which is why he swiftly announces the change of plan. Brutally honest, with himself, with Miss Tibideaux, with Rachel in the wings, he declares that the song he is going to sing represents him much better than anything else he could have sung. He gives Brad the agreed-on nod so that he knows which song to play and calls his back-up ladies on stage, pointedly ignoring Rachel's wild gestures. He's so nervous he doesn't know if he even introduces them correctly but he pushes the thought away as quickly as it comes.

No time like the present to find out what he can really accomplish with anything but his raw talent, right?

Yes, he still has a costume of sorts, but it's more of an homage to the original interpret. It's not a mask and a cape, it's just pants and a shirt. It's just him, just the stage, just one song.

He can do this.

He takes off the mask, gives Brad a quick signal and takes place center stage. Closing his eyes, he lets the music rush through him, lets himself be absorbed in the general feel of the song.

He opens his eyes with a determined, genuine self-confidence that he rarely gets anywhere but on stage. A few lines into the song, he steels himself for the true revelation of his audition – ripping off his Phantom suit feels like stripping himself of a heavy raincoat. It makes him feel lighter but unprotected.

He knows the steps, he knows his cues, he uses the piano as a prop, just as planned. And if this song is his swan song, at least he is ending things with a bang.

* * *

Carmen Tibideaux seems to be truly captivated by his performance. Kurt stands backstage, panting, shaking heavily, hardly believing what he just heard come out of that stern woman's mouth. She was _impressed_. With him. With the choice he made. With the risk he took.

He feels like he's walking on clouds when he hastens through the hallway and enters the auditorium from the other side. As soon as he's in the right row, he gets hugged by Mr. Schue and Finn. Squeezing past them, he rushes towards Blaine.

"Blaine, Blaine, Blaine!" he babbles. "I did it, I did it, thank you for believing in me."

Carmen Tibideaux turns around to fix them with a stern look and Kurt puts up an apologetic hand. Her gaze turns softer and Kurt can see her eye Blaine with a smile before returning her attention to the stage.

"Kurt, you were amazing up there!" Blaine whispers so they don't disturb Miss Tibideaux again, hugging him tight and kissing his cheek. When they pull back, Kurt can see that Blaine's eyes are glistening with unshed tears.

Kurt moved his boyfriend to tears.

God, can this day get any better?

"Rachel Berry," Carmen Tibideaux speaks into the microphone.

Rachel comes out in a simple black dress. Kurt knows that she had briefly considered auditioning in an orange coat and a fur hat like in the movie but… this seems much more Rachel.

She introduces herself with that boundless exuberant energy of hers, her stage presence charming and winning and altogether so intimidating that Kurt is somewhat glad he doesn't have to follow her.

The familiar beat starts playing. Kurt knows the song almost as well as Rachel, he's watched her practice and perform it numerous times.

Yet he's never seen her choke on it.

He grips Blaine's hand tight when it happens.

Rachel excuses herself, asks for a do-over, confusion written all over her face, and Kurt instinctively knows that this is exactly what he's been telling her without spelling it out completely.

She knows this song so well she's almost singing it on autopilot. She knows it _too_ well. Confronted with her own nervousness, she blanks again. Kurt can see she doesn't understand what is happening. She can't remember the lyrics she's been singing since she could form words.

It's a Rachel Berry thing. She hasn't learned yet that adrenaline is something that's supposed to boost your energy, not tamper with your fate.

His heart breaks for her when she bursts into tears, pleading and begging Miss Tibideaux to give her another chance.

She doesn't get one and flees the stage.

Her small audience looks on in shock.

Kurt doesn't even realize it until she clears her throat that Miss Tibideaux has turned in her chair to watch them in silence.

"Mr. Anderson," she says calmly, like she didn't just crush a young girl's dream with the flick of her hand and a simple two-letter word, "would you care to get up on stage?"

Three heads turn to Blaine who seems to be frozen in his spot.


	8. So Glad We've Almost Made It

_**A/N: Sorry for the slightly longer wait - busy weekend. Hope you enjoy the second-to-last chapter!**_

* * *

 **\- So Glad We've Almost Made It -**

"I- uh, what?" Blaine stammers.

"Blaine Anderson, I assume?" Miss Tibideaux says.

Blaine nods wordlessly. He looks shaken to the core. Kurt sneaks his hand on the armrest and interlaces his fingers with Blaine because it seems like he needs some support.

"I reviewed your application and was thoroughly impressed, Mr. Anderson," Miss Tibideaux continues in her quietly thunderous, lecturing voice. "But then I received the quite disappointing news that you had reconsidered."

Kurt's eyes widen. He had known Blaine's application must have been good – but so good that the Dean of the Performing Arts program would still remember him months later when he had already cancelled his plans? He must have submitted one hell of an application.

"Now, I don't know the reasons behind your actions but as you are already here and Miss Berry so unfortunately left us hanging with only a fraction of a song, maybe you could fill in for her."

Her tone suggests that it is more of a request than a question. Blaine's face has gone pale and Kurt can't really tell if this is a dream or a nightmare come true for him.

"Can I have some ti-" Blaine starts but gets interrupted by Miss Tibideaux.

"You have one minute," she says.

She makes to turn back to her notes but spins around to face Blaine once more.

"Mr. Anderson?" she addresses him, and this time she sounds a bit friendlier. "You can always withdraw once you get our official feedback, if that is your wish. I still encourage you to at least try."

It is clear that Blaine's minute starts as soon as she turns back to her paperwork.

Kurt grips his hand tight. "This is fantastic, Blaine," he whispers. "It's your second chance."

Blaine looks at him with an almost painful expression on his face. "Kurt, I don't know if I can do it."

"Why the hell not?"

"Rachel." He huffs in frustration. "I can't just-"

"What, take her spot?" Kurt finishes in disbelief. "Blaine, we've been over this so many times! You're not taking anything from anyone if you are _offered_ something."

"Do you think she'll be mad?" Blaine asks shyly.

Kurt takes Blaine's face in his hands and looks him straight in the eye.

"Blaine, it is not your job to make Rachel happy. We just watched her _butcher_ her audition. She knows just as well as everyone else in this room that if she doesn't get offered a spot in the program, it's nobody's fault but hers."

Blaine nods but doesn't decide anything.

Kurt groans. "Just tell me one thing," he pleads. "Do you _want_ to audition?"

Blaine bites his lip for a second but then he whispers, quietly but with conviction, "Yes."

Kurt smiles. "Then do it."

Blaine visibly steels himself for his decision by taking a deep breath before he calls out, "Miss Tibideaux?"

"Yes?" she asks without turning around.

"I'm ready for my audition."

* * *

Kurt knows the song Blaine is going to sing. He's seen him practice it with Brad. His NYU performance review is still a few weeks away but Kurt knows he is ready.

While Blaine discusses a few things with Brad, Kurt looks to his right. Mr. Schue leaning forward on his elbows with an eager look. As much as Kurt disapproves of his choices sometimes, it is nice to see that he is genuinely interested in his students' success. When Kurt's gaze flits from Mr. Schue's seat to Finn's, he finds it empty. He looks around in confusion. He hadn't noticed that Finn had left the auditorium.

It takes Kurt a little while to realize that he has probably gone to comfort Rachel. He smiles at the thought, but it's a little bittersweet. Poor Rachel, she must be so devastated.

Sighing, he crosses his fingers for Blaine. After all, if someone as prepared as Rachel can blank on a song they know backwards, a little luck might be helpful now and then.

Blaine clears his throat.

Miss Tibideaux looks up at him. "What will you be singing for us, Mr. Anderson?"

"I am going to sing _Proud Of Your Boy_ , written for the movie and the musical Aladdin."

He receives a curt nod, which can mean anything, really. Kurt stops himself from reading anything into it. Miss Tibideaux frowned at _his_ initial choice and he turned out to be just fine. Blaine will be, too.

Brad plays a short piano intro. Kurt wiggles forward in his seat until he's sitting at the very edge, focusing his all attention on Blaine in the spotlight. It's a sight he is hoping to get used to, after all.

The song starts out quiet and hesitant and Blaine plays with it, lets the words roll off his tongue like he is tasting them, trying them out for the first time.

 _Proud of your boy,_

 _I'll make you proud of your boy,_

 _Believe me, bad as I've been, ma,_

 _You're in for a pleasant surprise._

Blaine takes a step forward and opens his arms wide, raw emotions on visible display in his ever-intriguing stage presence.

 _I've wasted time,_

 _I've wasted me._

He points to himself and then shrugs when he moves over into the next part.

 _So say I'm slow for my age, a late bloomer,_

 _okay, I agree_

 _that I've been one rotten kid,_

 _Some son, some pride and some joy,_

 _But I'll get over these lousin' up, messin' up, screwin' up times!_

Kurt smiles at his boyfriend. Blaine's performance is more heartfelt than he has ever sounded in rehearsal.

 _You'll see, ma, now comes the better part,_

 _Someone's gonna make good, cross his stupid heart._

 _Make good, and finally make you proud of your boy!_

Blaine's wide expressive eyes shine all the way through the auditorium and it feels like his aura is lighting up the whole room.

 _Tell me that I've been a louse and a loafer,_

 _You won't get a fight here, no ma'am._

 _Say I'm a goldbrick, a goof-off, no good,_

 _But that couldn't be all that I am!_

 _Water flows under the bridge, let it pass, let it go._

 _There's no good reason that you should believe me, not yet,_

 _I know but..._

 _Someday and soon,_

 _I'll make you proud of your boy_

 _Though I can't make myself taller, or smarter, or handsome, or wise._

Kurt could swear that Blaine looks right at him when he sings about being taller. He hides a smile behind his hand and falls a little bit more in love with his beautiful, talented, ridiculous boyfriend. Kurt presses a hand to his cheek and dabs some stray tears away.

And then, Kurt can feel Blaine gives it his everything one last time, pouring all those self-doubts and regrets he broke down over all those months ago into the last verse.

 _I'll do my best, what else can I do?_

 _Since I wasn't born perfect, like dad or you,_

 _Mom, I will try to, try hard to make you_

 _Proud of your boy!_

Kurt doesn't even realize he's getting up from his chair. He doesn't clap – Mr. Schue takes care of that part very enthusiastically – and instead just stares at Blaine in wonder, covering his mouth with both hands.

Blaine stares off into the distance for a few seconds after the song ends before breaking character, taking a deep breath and letting his gaze wander back to Carmen Tibideaux, who is leaning back in her chair with crossed arms, nodding ever so slightly.

"Well done, Mr. Anderson," she says. Kurt can't see her smile but he can hear it in her voice. He cheers internally. "You certainly would be a worthy candidate for our program. Can I ask why you decided to drop out of the race so soon?"

Blaine bites his lip nervously. "Personal reasons," he answers vaguely.

"I see." Miss Tibideaux leans forward and places both hands on the desk in front of her. "And have those personal issues been resolved in the meantime?"

"Yes, they have," Blaine says and Kurt can see his eyes flicker to Finn's empty seat for a brief moment.

"Do you wish for me to reconsider your application, then?"

Blaine's body visibly sags in relief. "I'd be forever grateful if you did," he says with his best manners, and Kurt can't help but let out a tiny squeak when Miss Tibideaux nods again.

"Mr. Anderson, Mr. Hummel," she says, turning around to address Kurt as well, "I know better than to guarantee a spot in our program right away but I will say that you both delivered very convincing performances. Expect your official letters by the end of next week."

"Thank you, Miss Tibideaux," Kurt says, pressing his hands together and bowing a bit in his chair.

"Yes, thank you so much for letting me audition today," Blaine agrees from his spot on the stage.

"You're welcome," Miss Tibideaux replies. "But please keep in mind that I do not make a habit of giving second chances. I don't tolerate students who take their education at NYADA for granted. Remember that."

Blaine bobs his head up and down in a series of quick, obedient nods.

With that, Miss Tibideaux gets up from her chair and joins Mr. Schue at the big aisle leading to the exit of the auditorium. From the way Mr. Schue's face takes on a solemn expression, Kurt figures he is trying to talk the dean into reconsidering her choice regarding Rachel's audition. As much as he hopes that there will be a way for Rachel to set things straight, he doubts that Miss Tibideaux is willing to cooperate.

He tears his eyes away from his teacher and his hopefully future teacher, too, and lets his gaze wander back to Blaine, who is still looking utterly dumbfounded up on the McKinley stage.

"Did that really just happen?" Blaine asks once the adults have left the room.

"It did," Kurt tells him with a grin. "And you better believe you _killed_ that song."

Blaine jumps down from the stage and shakes his head in disbelief while he walks to meet Kurt in one of the aisles. As soon as he reaches Blaine, Kurt pulls him into a tight hug, breathing him in and letting himself come down from the performance high and the adrenaline rush.

"We're going to be at NYADA," Kurt whispers into Blaine's hair. "Together."

"We don't know that yet."

"Blaine, let a guy dream," Kurt chastises.

Blaine pulls back with a little grin that turns sour within seconds. "What about Rachel, though?"

"We should go find her," Kurt says, sobering up as well.

"Lead the way."

* * *

Rachel, it turns out, has fled the building. Even after splitting up and searching the school's remotest corners, neither Kurt nor Blaine manage to find her.

"Have you tried calling her?" Blaine asks once they reunite in the parking lot.

Kurt nods. He even called Finn, knowing he must be wherever Rachel is, but both calls went straight to voicemail.

"They probably went home," he says with a shrug. "Should we…?"

"What, track them down?" Blaine tries to clarify, eliciting another nod from Kurt. "I don't know. Maybe they need to be alone."

"Maybe," Kurt agrees half-heartedly. He really wants to talk to his best friend and talk her through what happened. This whole time, he's been thinking he'd be the one who would need a shoulder to cry on. Now that it's Rachel instead of him, he can only imagine what it must feel like from her perspective. She never counted on being rejected, she didn't prepare herself for the possibility of it even happening like Kurt did.

"Let's just get you home and if they are there and want to talk to us, we'll do just that," Blaine suggests.

"And if not?"

"If not, we'll pop in a movie, make out a little," Blaine says, waggling his eyebrows, "you know, celebrate our audition success."

Even though he's still heartbroken for Rachel, Kurt can't help but give in to the tugging corners of his lips. He steps closer to Blaine and tugs at the collar of his jacket.

"You've got yourself a deal," he says teasingly. "If…"

Blaine quirks an eyebrow. "If what?"

"If we change make out a little to make out a lot."

Blaine's hearty laugh is enough to make him smile for real. Blaine smiles back easily, taking his hand and stroking his fingers gently.

"Come on," he says, pulling Kurt close to give him a little kiss on the nose. "Let's drive to your house and see what we'll find."

* * *

What they find is Rachel and Finn sitting on the porch steps in front of the house. They don't seem to notice the car at first but when Kurt and Blaine get out, the noise of the shutting doors makes them look up.

Rachel is on her feet at once.

"I gotta go," she explains hurriedly.

Kurt stays where he is and he feels Blaine stopping right behind him as well. He isn't sure what he expected exactly but Rachel actively trying to avoid him definitely wasn't on the list.

"Rachel, wait," Kurt pleads.

"Kurt, I-" Rachel stops for a second, looking at Kurt with a pained grimace. Kurt can tell with one look at her puffy eyes that she has been crying for a long while. He opens his mouth to speak but Rachel sighs in frustration before he can say anything, continuing, "I can't talk about this right now."

She rushes past Blaine and him, pulling her coat closer to her body with crossed arms while she walks away with fast, jerky steps.

Finn springs to his feet as well.

"Give her time," Finn says apologetically as he jogs past them.

"Is she mad at me or something?" Kurt asks with a frown. Maybe Rachel took offense at his new audition choice, thinking he didn't value her input enough… which, to be fair, he hadn't. He just thought she'd be happy for him.

"No, she's not," Finn promises, halting in his movements for a second to turn around and give Kurt a reassuring smile before he spins back around to run after his girlfriend, calling out, "Rachel, wait up! I'll walk you home!"

Kurt feels warm hands snake along his waist as he's being pulled into Blaine's arms from behind.

"I'm sure it's fine," Blaine mutters right behind his ear, apparently already clued in on what's going on in Kurt's head. "She's just upset."

"I don't get it," Kurt says, feeling terribly lost. He melts into Blaine's body, searching for that sense of security he feels when Blaine is near him. "If I was in her place, I'd want to talk."

"You're different people, Kurt." Blaine tightens his arms around her and hooks his chin on Kurt's shoulder. "Maybe that's just not her."

Kurt sighs. "You're probably right."

They stay like that for a while until Blaine's head tilts to the side so that his cheek is flat on Kurt's shoulder and he blinks up at Kurt with a little smile. "Still want to go with plan B?"

Kurt considers it. "Mh, if remember correctly, your last plan B was pretty mind-blowing," he says without thinking.

And blushes when Blaine's smile turns into a lopsided smirk at his choice of words. He can practically hear the _Just mind…?_

"Shut up, Blaine."

"Didn't say anything," Blaine says, still grinning.

"Well, I can read your mind, and your mind is saying a lot right now."

Blaine pulls him even closer and lifts his head until he is nosing at Kurt's jaw.

"I know, it's a problem," he says sweetly. "My mind can never shut up about you."

Kurt laughs and a bubbly feeling spreads out in his chest. "Cheesy… but flattering."

"And true," Blaine mumbles, brushing his lips up and down Kurt's jaw line lazily. Kurt is starting to feel a little dizzy by the time the kisses turn into little nips.

"Let's go inside," he breathes out, turning his face so he can catch Blaine's lips with his own.

Blaine sighs into the kiss happily and lets himself be pulled to the front door.

* * *

Blaine has long gone home to eat dinner with his mom and Quinn when Finn comes home. Kurt doesn't hear him at first, listening to his Broadway playlist with his headphones in while he doodles little hearts in his notebook, feeling a little bit like a lovesick puppy but also a little too happy to care. His afternoon with Blaine was amazing, he killed his NYADA audition, as did Blaine, and-

"Rachel wants to see you now," Finn announces, plumping down on Kurt's bed with a sudden force that makes Kurt jerk his head up in shock. "Wow, sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

Kurt clutches his heart. "Jesus, Finn, right in the middle of the witch's rap."

Finn frowns. "The what now?"

"Never mind." Kurt waves a hand in his face. "What did you say about Rachel?"

"She said she'd like to see you now, if you're not busy." Finn glances down at the notebook and grins. "And I can see you're not."

Kurt covers the doodles with one hand and sends Finn a half-murderous, half-embarrassed glare. He sits up and runs a hand through his hair.

"So she's not mad?"

"No, I told you she wasn't."

"Just checking." Kurt sighs. "She seemed… distant, earlier."

"She just needed space," Finn says, patting Kurt's knee. "But she really wants to see you."

"Okay." Kurt gets up and gets his car keys from the desk. "Can you tell Carole I'll be back in time to do the dishes?"

"Don't worry about it, I'll do it."

Kurt spins back around to Finn. "You're kidding."

"No, I'll do it."

"You're _offering_ to take over my chores?" Kurt squints his eyes. "Where's the catch?"

Finn holds up his hands. "No catch, I swear," he says. "I just want you guys to be able to take your time talking it out."

"Wow," Kurt mutters. "You really must love her a lot."

Finn grins. "I'd do more than just dishes for her. For you, too. But yes, I do. Love her a lot, I mean."

"That's great," Kurt says with a smile. "Thank you, Finn."

He's almost out of the room before he turns back around on an afterthought and pulls Finn in for a tight hug.

"See you later, little brother," Finn says a little embarrassedly.

Kurt lets him use that nickname just that once.

* * *

He is still somewhat nervous when he rings the doorbell and waits on the front porch of the Berry residence. Even though Finn has assured him that Rachel has calmed down, he can't stop the thoughts whirring through his head. What if Rachel is devastated over blowing her audition and doesn't want to be his friend anymore? What if Rachel resents him for taking her spot at NYADA and-

 _Whoa, you're starting to sound like Blaine_ , Kurt tells himself, _and that after all the interventions you've held for him to get him to stop the self-sabotage_.

When Rachel opens the door, she's already wearing her pink pajamas. Her face looks less puffy than before but it is still pretty clear that she's having a bad day.

Kurt presses his lips together and pouts a little to show his support. "Hi, Rach," he says quietly.

"Kurt!" Rachel exclaims and flings his arms around him. "I wasn't sure you'd come. I'm so happy you're here."

It's rare to have Rachel appreciate his presence like that. So she's probably not mad. Despite his little mental pep talk to shake himself out of the anxiety, Kurt feels relief washing through his body.

Once Kurt has said hi to Rachel's dad and they've excused themselves to Rachel's bedroom, though, Rachel starts crying again and Kurt is left kneeling next to her awkwardly where she is rocking back and forth on the bed.

"Everything I e-ever wanted led up t-to today and now I- I ruined it," Rachel gets out between sobs.

"Rachel…" Kurt strokes her back and leans his head against hers. "Nothing is ruined, we'll find another way."

"I just never thought I'd have to take another road, you know?" Rachel whispers. "I thought I was going straight to stardom on the first try. I'm so s-stupid."

"You're not stupid," Kurt tells her firmly and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "You screwed up an audition, so what? It happens to the best."

"It didn't happen to you," Rachel points out. "You were amazing."

Kurt squirms a little. He's so proud of himself but he doesn't want to get into it, not when Rachel is this unhappy.

"I never thought I could do it," he admits. "I thought I'd be the one who messes up and doesn't get in."

"And you applied to back-up schools so it wouldn't ruin your chance to go to New York." Rachel laughs hollowly and wipes away her tears. "See? I _am_ stupid. What am I going to do now?"

"College is not the only way to make it in New York," Kurt says, gently pulling some strands of Rachel's face back behind her ear so it won't stick to her wet cheeks. "We'll find something to do for you and then you can join us at NYADA next year."

"I guess." Rachel frowns. "Wait, why 'us'?"

Oh. Right. She doesn't know yet.

Kurt still can't believe that Blaine was able to audition after everything that happened. He's so happy for his boyfriend he could sing and dance and jump around – but now is not the time. Maybe later in his bedroom.

Instead, he smiles gingerly and tells Rachel about Blaine's audition. Her eyes widen with every word.

"Wow," she breathes out. "She gave him a second chance? Kurt, that is amazing news!"

Kurt blinks slowly. "It is?"

"Of course it is!"

It's really not that he thinks Rachel is a bad person. But having the day she's had, and given the fact that she can be quite self-absorbed, Kurt really expected a different reaction from his best friend. He's left a little speechless and just gives her an inane smile.

"That means she might give me a second chance, too!" Rachel continues feverishly and Kurt's smile turns into a grimace.

He should have seen that coming.

"Rachel, I don't think-"

"No, listen, I have an amazing plan." Rachel gets up from the bed and gets out her day planner. "Nationals is in three months. What if I can get Carmen Tibideaux to attend?"

Kurt raises his eyebrows. "You want to invite Carmen Tibideaux to come watch a national show choir competition to give you a second shot at NYADA?"

"Yes," Rachel says, unfazed. "I will make sure Mr. Shue gives me an incredible solo and I could be MVP and that'll win her over!"

"I…" Kurt crosses his legs and sighs. "I'm not sure that's how it works, Rachel."

"Well, it went okay for Blaine, didn't it?"

"Well, but he didn't-" Kurt cringes and restarts. "It was different for him, he didn't audition before."

Rachel waves a hand dismissively while she jots down notes in her day planner. "Don't worry about it, I'll make it happen."

"So you think she'll just fly out to Chicago to see us compete?"

"It's Chicago, not Timbuktu," Rachel says. "I'll just have to make sure to be convincing enough on the phone."

Kurt is torn between flat-out telling her that he's quite sure Miss Tibideaux couldn't even be bothered to travel as far as Brooklyn for someone she's already seen butcher an audition, let alone Chicago, and letting her plot if that means she's not going to be sad anymore.

He's really tempted to just go with the second option because he can't stand to see Rachel upset but he decides to make a compromise instead – letting her plot with necessary precautions.

"Okay, but please prepare yourself for not getting in this time?" he more or less pleads. "Nationals is right before graduation, if you don't make it into NYADA then, you don't have much time left to figure out what to do. You need a plan B."

Rachel presses her lips together in a thin line and nods contemplatively.

"Fair point," she decides. "I guess I'll look for summer jobs and internships."

Kurt smiles at her and watches her take furiously scribbled notes in her day planner.

After a while, she suddenly looks up with wide eyes.

"Kurt, I haven't even congratulated you yet!" she whines.

"Huh?"

She leaps over to where he's still sitting on the bed and tackles him onto her atrocious sheets in an enthusiastic hug.

"I asked Finn to tell you to come over so I could apologize for not talking to you earlier," she explains hastily. "I was so upset, I could hardly stand the thought of someone else getting what I worked so hard for and… I knew it was wrong to think that. I stayed away from you so we wouldn't fight." She sighs. "Finn helped me come down and then I thought I was ready to tell you how amazing you were and how much you deserve to get into that school and- ah, I screwed that up, didn't I? I started talking about myself the second you got here."

"Hey, Rachel, calm down," Kurt pants. He is still being squeezed half to death and her fast speech pattern makes it hard to listen to her properly. "I know this day has been tough, it's fine."

"But still, your audition was _sooo_ good," Rachel gushes, leaning back a little to give him space. "and you looked so dashing in your outfit, and you had this whole thing planned before, why didn't you _tell_ me?"

"Thanks." Kurt grins a little bashfully as he feels color rise up in his cheeks. "I just thought you'd try to talk me out of it… and I had a feeling it was the right choice, so I didn't _want_ to be talked out of it."

Rachel bites her lip and underneath her teeth, her smile looks kind of sad as she asks, "Am I a bad friend?"

"No," Kurt says at once. "You're crazy, sure, but I love you to the moon and back, and I'll always want to be your friend."

He is tackled back down on the bed in another hug before he can even think about elaborating more.

* * *

After talking things through more seriously with Rachel, Kurt helps her look for internships to keep her occupied in New York. Rachel seems to be hung up on theater internships in the Broadway community while Kurt peruses other fields of work that Rachel dismisses for being irrelevant to her career.

Once he's back home, he first makes sure that Finn actually did do the dishes for him – which he did. Kurt brings him warm milk to his bedroom as a way of saying thank you only to find Finn already fast asleep, sprawled out over his half-finished Spanish homework.

Back in his own bedroom, he pulls out his laptop and goes back to the webpage on which he found those internships for Rachel. There was one job ad in particular that stuck out to him but he couldn't read it all the way through because Rachel kept pushing for more results.

He reads it, biting his lip while doing so, and gets out his cell phone to text Blaine.

 _So… I was thinking. – K_

He gets an answer just seconds later. It's not that surprising, given that they usually text or call each other before going to bed, but it still makes Kurt smile like an idiot.

 _Listening. – B_

 _You're going to be in New York early to do that summer school thingy, right? – K_

 _Yes, I accepted their offer, why? – B_

 _Well… I don't want to hang out in Ohio and count the days until I can finally reunite with you in New York. – K_

 _What's your plan? – B_

 _(And even if you do stay in Ohio, I'll text and call and skype you so often you will feel like I am right there with you. 3 ) – B_

 _That's lovely but if my plan works out, you might not have to. :) – K_

 _Really? I'm dying over here! What is your plan? – B_

 _I'm thinking of applying for a summer internship. Rachel was looking for some earlier and I found one that sounds… perfect. – K_

 _Tell me more! :) – B_

 _Don't laugh, okay? – K_

 _What? Never. – B_

 _It's an internship at – K_

Because Blaine likes to discuss important things in person rather than in text, Kurt is almost expecting the call he gets in return. Still, he jumps a little when he hears the ringtone.

"Oh my god, Kurt, that is amazing!" Blaine practically yells into the receiver once Kurt picks up. "You'd be so perfect for the job!"

"Really?" Kurt asks a little self-consciously.

"Yes, of course!" Blaine pauses. "Why did you think I'd laugh?"

"I don't know, I feel like I might be in way over my head."

"Don't sell yourself short," Blaine replies immediately. "I mean, yes, is big but… have you _seen_ your wardrobe? If I wasn't your boyfriend and didn't appreciate the way you look in your clothes entirely too much, I'd steal every single one of your outfits."

"You like my clothes?" Kurt teases. "I got a very different vibe from you earlier."

He says it mainly because the flattery is going to his head and he needs to stay level-headed to make a reasonable decision… but also because the memory of Blaine frantically pulling at his clothes to get to as much skin as possible is making his heart beat faster and he'll probably never get over the way Blaine seems to always need a moment to just stare at him once he gets him out of his clothes completely.

Blaine's embarrassed chuckle is a nice response, too.

"Maybe I _am_ trying to steal your clothes after all," he admits.

"I knew it," Kurt says with an easy grin as he sets his laptop aside and sprawls out on his bed.

"Anyway, don't change the subject," Blaine says quickly. "You'd be an amazing intern for Vogue and I see no reason why you shouldn't at least try and see what happens."

"I need a reference from someone, though," Kurt says, still doubtful. "I don't think any of our teachers would qualify as a reference."

Blaine hums in agreement.

"If we had a costume department at McKinley," Kurt continues. "But-"

"What about my mom?" Blaine interrupts excitedly.

"Your mom?" Kurt asks, frowning at the ceiling. "I mean, I follow her blog, she's amazing… but isn't it more cosmetic products than fashion…?"

"Yeah, but she's successful enough to write some columns for fashion magazines, too," Blaine says. "And she's been to some conferences as well. I'm sure she'd be your best bet for a good reference. I mean, she's never worked with Vogue before so maybe it's not even _that_ good but, uh, she does know her way around these topics and-"

"Blaine," Kurt cuts him off with a small grin. His boyfriend is really adorable when he starts rambling like that. "Do you think she'd write me a recommendation?"

Blaine laughs a little self-consciously. "Yeah, I'm sure she would love to."

"Yay!" Kurt exclaims and wiggles a little on the bed.

"So… are you doing it?"

Kurt hesitates a little. "It _would_ be amazing to get to New York earlier," he muses.

Blaine's excitement rings all the way through the speaker when he asks again, "But are you doing it?"

Kurt pauses and spares another sideway glance at the open tab in his browser.

"Yes, I think I am."

Blaine squeals into his ear.

* * *

Exactly a week after their audition, their NYADA letters arrive. Rachel lets him know in a series of texts with approximately only five to ten seconds between each message that she's been rejected and that she is going to contact Miss Tibideaux as soon as possible to get her to attend Nationals.

Kurt bites hits lip as he types out his response. He knows part of why Rachel is throwing herself into this new plan without abandon is that deep down, she is terrified of having lost her only shot at going to New York. Her applications are out but… it's New York, it's Broadway, and lading a valuable summer internship is like trying to get a good deal on Black Friday when hundreds of others are already waiting to get off the starting blocks.

But she has to get one. She just _has_ to. Kurt can't even imagine a life in New York without Rachel. Their plan was born on the stage at the Gershwin Theatre and Kurt can't wait to turn that brief, overwhelming moment of fantasy into reality.

And in a few minutes, he will find out if he can finally cross the first step of the plan off his list.

Phone still clutched in his hand tightly, he rushes downstairs to retrieve his own letter from the mail. Sure enough, in between bills, a postcard from his aunt Anne and a letter from one of Carole's friends, there is Kurt's NYADA letter.

"Dad!" he calls out.

"I'm in a hurry, what is it?" Burt calls back, sticking his head out of the kitchen where he is probably putting together a quick sandwich for his lunch break. Kurt hopes he used the healthy stuff he put in the fridge for exactly that purpose and not Finn's PBJ supplies.

"My letter," Kurt says shakily. "My NYADA letter is here."

Whatever Burt was holding in his hand clunks to the floor as he drops everything and hurries over to meet Kurt in the hallway.

"Are you messing with me? Did I miss April Fools' day?" he asks breathlessly.

"Dad, it's March."

"So this is real?"

"Very much so," Kurt confirms.

His dad grabs his shoulders. "Open it, open it, open it!"

"Alright, alright," Kurt says. "Okay, so… wait. I need to call Blaine! And where's Finn and Carole?"

They get a still sleepy Blaine and a slightly more cheerful Quinn on the line, Burt holding the phone while Kurt takes care of the letter. Finn and Carole come downstairs to watch from the staircase. They all wait excitedly until Blaine has his letter ready as well so they can open it at the same time.

"Are you opening it?" Burt asks into the phone and when the response comes, he yells at Kurt, "Blaine is opening it!"

Kurt laughs. "Dad, he's on speaker, I can hear them."

"I told you I'm in a hurry," Burt says grumpily. "I'm late for work and you're about as fast as a turtle."

"Why don't you do it then?" Kurt snaps when his fingers refuse to pull out the letter the right way.

He trades the letter for the phone and whispers into the receiver, "I swear, the older he gets, the-"

"Don't you finish that sentence, sonny, I can hear you just fine," Burt grumbles while he unfolds the letter.

Blaine chuckles. "Can I read it now or what?" he says, sounding a little impatient.

"Go ahead," Kurt tells him, nervously observing his father as he opens the letter and starts to read it.

"Kurt, this is…" Burt breathes out and looks up at him with teary eyes.

"This is what?" Kurt asks with a small voice. "Did I get rejected?"

Burt almost wipes the tears away with the letter before he realizes what he's doing and uses his free hand instead.

"This is your ticket to New York."

Kurt yanks the letter out of his father's hand, scanning it quickly.

"Oh my god, I got in!" he exclaims, accepting a tight hug from his dad. "I got in!"

He almost forgets about the phone in his head until equally excited voices pipes up with, "Me, too!" and "Oh my god, you guys are going to be NYADA students!"

If Kurt thought he'd be excited to go to New York with Blaine, his father's loud, fairly unhuman squeal tells him he's not the only one who's stoked about the news.

* * *

Kurt feels like he's floating to the sky to walk on clouds every time someone mentions NYADA or New York during the next week. Even if it's Rachel and he tries his best to tone down his excitement, he can't help but feel elevated and carefree at the prospect of leaving small, limited Lima behind.

Quinn, it turns out, seems to be even more excited than Blaine and keeps babbling about NYADA over lunch while Blaine hides his laugh behind a forkful of his food and Kurt beams at her.

A few days into the madness, Blaine comments with a smirk, "You should have said you liked NYADA that much, you could have applied yourself."

"Don't be dumb, Blaine, it's not my cup of tea." Quinn laughs, fiddling with the sleeves of her loose-fit cardigan so she won't get sauce all over them. With only a month left until her baby is due, her belly is so huge it won't possibly fit into a cheerleader's uniform anymore and Coach Sue has given her some time off the team. "Besides, I got into Yale, what more could I want?"

"Hey, um," Blaine says slowly, "I've been meaning to ask you about this… what are you going to do with Beth when you're in New Haven?"

"What do you mean, what am I going to do with her? She's coming with me, of course."

Blaine looks like he doesn't know how to continue his inquiry, so Kurt decides to help him out. After all, he knows how worried Blaine is about Quinn's future, and lately, it has been making its way into their conversations more often than not.

"I think he meant, how are you going to take care of her?" he jumps in and answers Blaine's thankful look with a squeeze of their joint hands under the table.

Quinn raps her nails on the lunch table in what Kurt thinks might be an insecure gesture. "I, uh…" she begins, "I might have convinced Puck to let go of his stupid plan to clean pools all over California and come to New Haven with me instead."

"Oh." Kurt smiles at her. "That's great news."

"Yeah," Quinn says softly. "But he's scared that he won't get a job there. And, I mean… I guess he has a point. We're talking about Puck here – what if he doesn't even _graduate_?"

"And even if he does graduate and get a job in New Haven, it's not going to be easy to raise a child with both of you gone for a large portion of the day," Blaine points out.

"Exactly." Quinn huffs out a frustrated breath. "It's a bit scary to think about, actually. I mean, what other choice do I have? I am not staying in Lima with Beth, no way."

Blaine glances over to his bag for a second and Kurt knows without following his gaze what Blaine is thinking. He knows about the letter Blaine received in the mail this morning. He also knows what it might mean for them. They have talked about the possibilities.

 _We will be okay, no matter what happens_ , he tells himself. It helps him keep his smile up when Blaine looks at him with a worried expression.

Kurt hopes it's a sign that their communication skills are getting better when Blaine seems to find support in his face and apparently decides to clue Quinn in.

"There is another way, you know," Blaine tells her quietly, pulling the letter out of his bag and passing it to Quinn.

"What is th-" she starts, stopping when she recognizes the logo. "Yale?"

Blaine nods.

"Blaine," she breathes out. "Did you… did you get in?"

Another nod from Blaine.

Quinn looks up at him with a stern look. "No," she says.

"But Quinn-"

"Not a chance, Blaine. You already got into NYADA."

Blaine looks helpless and Quinn takes advantage of it.

"Back me up here, Kurt," she demands.

Kurt smiles. "I'm on board with whatever he decides," he says, knowing his answer will surprise her.

"There you have it, Bl- what?" Quinn throws Kurt and incredulous look. "After all the fuss about NYADA you two are just going to give up a future together for something like this?"

"For someone like you," Kurt corrects. "And it's not like we can't have a future together just because we live two hours apart, that's ridiculous."

"Guys, I'm really flattered but I still think it's a stupid idea." Quinn turns back to Blaine. "Yale doesn't even have that much of a music education program and I know you've been reading a lot about that."

Kurt frowns. He wasn't aware of _that_. Why didn't Blaine tell him?

"NYADA doesn't have one, either," Blaine counters. "They're all about performing."

"Blaine, I am not letting you compromise your dream school for my baby."

Kurt sighs. "I'm actually with Quinn on that one."

"Kurt, we've talked about this-"

"Yes, we have," Kurt cuts him off. "And I support your choice, whatever it is. But you should choose whatever you think is best for _you_. And maybe don't make this decision over lunch when you _just_ got your Yale letter this morning… it just seems a bit rash. You might regret it."

Quinn shoots Blaine a triumphant smile. Blaine frowns, looking down at his plate in thought.

"Okay," he finally says. "I promise both of you that I won't make a decision based on your opinions or interests and I'll wait until I have all of my letters. Deal?"

"Deal," they both say.

"Changing the topic then," Blaine declares. "Who do you think is gonna be valedictorian?"

Again, Quinn and Kurt answer at the same time. "Me," they say. Quinn looks at Kurt in surprise and he shrugs, before they all burst out laughing.

"Wait, why are you laughing?" Quinn asks with a grin. "I was being serious."

Kurt tilts his head sideways. "So was I."

"You're both delusional," Blaine quips. "I have the highest GPA at this table."

"I have a 3.8," Kurt says. Damn his Home Ec teacher, who always thinks he's talking back at her when he's actually just asking for better assignments so he'll learn more. She's got about three months left to teach him to make some sort of pâté but he has a feeling he's reaching for the stars there.

"Ha!" Quinn exclaims. "3.9."

"So does Rachel, by the way," Kurt reminds her. "And with all of her extracurricular activities, the title is probably hers."

Blaine chuckles but doesn't say anything.

"What _is_ your GPA, brother bear?" Quinn asks, frowning like she is only just now realizing that she doesn't know the answer to the question. Kurt doesn't either. He knows it must be very high, given that Blaine usually always gets good grades, and if he's still chuckling after Quinn announced her near-perfect score…

"4.0," Blaine says.

Kurt groans. "Of course you'd get straight A's in everything."

"Only straight thing about me," Blaine replies with a wink.

It makes all of them giggle – until Brittany, who's leaning over from a different table, lets them know that she has a 0.0 GPA and is looking for people to lend her some points.

* * *

Blaine makes good on his promise to think about his school decision. He researches the programs he has been accepted into in more detail and once, when Kurt stays over at Blaine's place a few days after their discussion with Quinn, Kurt notices a bookmark in Blaine's browser named "Music Education Programs" when he checks his email while Blaine is in the shower. He doesn't want to intrude on Blaine's privacy or push him, so he doesn't open the link and doesn't mention it at all when Blaine comes back from the bathroom.

After all, their time together is cut short as it is, what with Blaine rehearsing for his NYU audition and Rachel once again involving Kurt in Glee club issues, internship applications and the scheming that Kurt calls "NYADA 2.0".

The only way Kurt knows Rachel also still finds time to tend to her own relationship is Finn coming home with a dazed look on his face every other day or so. At least that seems to be working out well for the both of them. Between Rachel not having gotten into NYADA and Finn not having received any football scholarships, things aren't looking too great perspective-wise.

The pressure gets even worse when other Glee clubbers start announcing their plans for the future. Kurt swears he sees Rachel flinch when Tina and Mike tell everyone that he is going to be a professional dancer at the Joffrey Ballet Academy of Dance in Chicago. And Finn doesn't seem all that joyous, either, when Santana proudly drops the news that she has been given a full cheerleading scholarship by the University of Louisville.

When Mercedes finally shares with the Glee club that she has accepted a recording contract and is moving to Los Angeles in the fall, Kurt's head snaps in Rachel's direction immediately. He catches her gaze and smiles at her in an offer of sympathy. Rachel sniffs and looks sad for a second before lifting her head a little higher.

"At least there's still the valedictorian title to win," she whispers haughtily. "I'm practically a shoo-in."

Kurt glances at Blaine, thinks of his 4.0 GPA and suppresses a groan.

"I'm sure Figgins will pick the right candidate," he says awkwardly, hoping that she'll think it means he agrees with her.

Sure enough, she beams and tells him that she's already been working on her speech.

* * *

Figgins doesn't make Rachel valedictorian.

It isn't Blaine, either.

Really, it shouldn't have been a surprise, but somehow, they all forgot about him.

"Students of McKinley High, it is my pleasure today to announce the valedictorian for the class of 2012," Figgins voice rustles through the decrepit speaker system, interrupting their English-teacher mid-sentence. "Please give it up for… Michael Robert Chang Jr."

Kurt cracks up when he takes in Blaine's startled face, comprehension apparently dawning as he raises his eyebrows and opens his mouth in a soundless "oh". If the situation was serious, Kurt would be a bit more considerate, but given the constant joking between Quinn, Blaine and him, he knows that none of them actually take the title seriously.

"Oh, Blaine," he gasps. "You should see your face!"

Blaine groans. "Oh god, Quinn will never let me live it down."

"Live what down?" Kurt asks innocently. "That you've been boasting about your perfect 4.0 GPA for days?"

Blaine hits him in the arm playfully. "Stop being mean," he whines. "How was I supposed to know Mike was this good?"

Kurt raises an eyebrow. "Out of Quinn, me and you, you are definitely the one who hangs out with him the most."

"Well, he's a private person, he doesn't tell everyone what his grades are," Blaine protests.

"Unlike you, you mean?" Kurt teases and dodges another hit from Blaine.

"Why do I hang out with you again?" Blaine sniffs.

"Because I'm witty and fun?" Kurt muses. He checks to see if their teacher is looking but she has her back to the class while she writes on the board so Kurt darts in to kiss Blaine on the cheek swiftly. "And because I love you and you love me."

"Oh, right," Blaine says with a smile.

"So do you think Mike has a 4.0, too?" Kurt wonders.

"Maybe higher."

"Come on, nobody has a higher GPA than that."

"No, I'm serious, it's possible if you take enough AP classes," Blaine says. "I had a 4.2 last year, that's why they finally let me skip a class."

"Huh." Kurt shrugs. "Good thing I never actually wanted that title. The competition is fierce this year."

Blaine grins. "You wanted it a little bit."

Kurt chuckles. "Okay, it would have been nice, I guess. But what's the point? You get to speak in front of the entire graduating class," he says and pretends to shudder. "So, basically you dedicate your speech to, like, five people you actually like, and a bunch of uncultured monkeys."

"Looks good on applications, though."

"I already got into the school I want," Kurt counters. "Speaking of which, are you nervous for your audition?"

Blaine's audition is two days away and Kurt knows Blaine has it down to a T. But still, he knows how nerve-wracking auditions can be.

"A little," Blaine confirms. "But I think I'm ready."

"Of course you are, you already killed it in front of Carmen Tibideaux."

"Don't remind me, that was unnerving enough."

"You'll be great," Kurt tells him and it's good that he chooses to look back to his book afterwards because his teacher calls on him right that second.

* * *

As predicted, Blaine's NYU audition goes great. Kurt sits in the auditorium with Quinn and Mr. Schue to support Blaine and his heart swells with pride when the NYU scout tells Blaine he did a great job and that they will be in touch.

He's so busy beaming at Blaine from across the auditorium that he almost doesn't notice the conversation between the scout and Mr. Schue as they leave the auditorium together. One thing that doesn't escape Kurt's attention, though, is that the scout mentions Blaine not having decided on a major yet.

After Quinn and he have sufficiently showered Blaine in praise, they take him out for celebratory coffee. The question about Blaine's major sits on Kurt's tongue the whole afternoon but somehow, he has a feeling Blaine should be the one to bring it up. So, like before, he bites his tongue and keeps his mouth shut.

Because, really, Blaine probably has a good reason for not involving him in the process of choosing a school… or even just a major, apparently. After all, he did promise not to let Kurt and Quinn's opinions affect his decisions. Of course, Kurt is glad that once Blaine is ready to accept one of the offers, it will be on his own terms and no one else's.

The downside is – Kurt has a feeling NYADA won't be the school Blaine will choose after all.

Sure, Blaine has never been like Rachel or Kurt in that aspect. NYADA takes up about 80% of their conversations, even now that Rachel has been rejected. Blaine, on the other hand, has always kept relatively quiet. Come to think of it, Kurt realizes, he only ever thought Blaine was determined to get into NYADA, and NYADA only, because Rachel planted the thought in his head early on when Blaine was "the enemy".

He has a long conversation with his dad about it that night, trusting his judgment enough to give him the level-headed advice he knows he can't give himself when it comes to Blaine. He tells him that he's a little scared he's going to feel lonely at NYADA without Rachel or Blaine there and Burt gives him a sympathetic smile.

"You know, Kurt," he says, "part of growing up is learning to be yourself all by yourself for a while." When Kurt sighs, he continues hastily, "I'm not saying you can't be with anyone while you do figure that out. It's a great relief for me that you won't be going to New York all alone. But maybe it'll be good for you to be alone every now and then, even if it's just at school."

"I guess," Kurt says, frustrated with himself. "It's just – Blaine makes me feel so… safe and- and connected. I'm scared to lose that feeling."

"Just because he might choose to go to a school that is across the city?" Burt chuckles. "Don't worry, kid, I'm sure you're going to be fine."

"I know, I know," Kurt mutters dejectedly. "I'm being selfish."

"Hey, nothing wrong with wanting your boyfriend to live as close as possible." Burt pats him on the shoulder. "I'd say it's a good thing. But, if it helps, you don't have to live in the dorms, do you? Maybe you can get an apartment together."

"It's not just that, though," Kurt says, even though he has to admit that the shared apartment thing didn't cross his mind until now. "We're going to have different friends and just… different social circles. What if we find out we're not actually that compatible?"

"Kurt, look at Carole and me, we have different friends… she actually doesn't like mine very much. Doesn't affect our marriage one bit."

"So you think we're going to be okay?"

Burt nods. "Better than okay. But you know what? Not that I'm not glad you felt like sharing this with me but I think you should talk to Blaine about this stuff."

"Yeah, I know." Kurt takes a deep breath. "I just feel like I'm going to explode with all these changes… it all seemed so far away a while ago, and I thought Rachel and Blaine would be there every step along the way and… now I feel like it's all a bit much."

"I guess that's normal," Burt says with a smile. "So what about Rachel, how is she holding up?"

"The rejection was tough on her," Kurt says sadly. "She's trying to make it seem like she's in control of everything, probably more for herself than for everyone else, but… I know she's hurting. I'm going to miss her like crazy if she has to stay here."

"Hey now, I think neither of you should give up just yet," Burt says gently. "I was almost read to give up on finding love ever again after your mom died… and then you introduced me to Carole. Sometimes things just work out after all."

"I hope so," Kurt sighs.

His dad gets up from the bed. "Talk to Blaine, okay?"

"I guess I'll sleep on it… but yeah, I will."

"Good decision." Burt chuckles again. "Worried about attending different schools in the same city… you two are something else, you know that?"

Kurt just smiles in response.

* * *

His father's words in mind but still not sure how to broach the topic without pushing for information, Kurt decides to at least make sure Blaine knows he can talk to him about these things without having to worry that his ideas are going to get ambushed.

He starts dropping little hints here and there, randomly telling Blaine what a great teacher he'd be or that Carole told him she switched majors twice because she couldn't figure out what to do with her life. Kurt knows he's not being particularly subtle, and it shows in Blaine's reactions, because by the third or fourth time it happens, Blaine stops looking surprised and instead just bites his lip into a smile.

Which is probably why halfway through the dinner at Breadstix Kurt took Blaine out on, Blaine grins and says, "Should I expect the college talk before or after our food has arrived?"

Kurt feels his cheeks warm up, less because he's been caught and more because he does actually have something he wants to ask Blaine – although it has nothing to do with college.

"You noticed that, huh?" he asks sheepishly.

"Of course I did." Blaine takes a sip of his coke and smoothes the edges of the napkin it's sitting on. "Is that what you brought me here to talk about?"

Kurt shakes his head. "Not at all. I do have something I want to talk to you about but… by all means, it can wait."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"Okay, then…" Blaine ducks his head under the table to grab something from his bag and slides an envelope onto the table. "I have news."

Kurt's eyes widen. "Is that from NYU?"

"Yup," Blaine confirms.

"Have you opened it?"

"Yup," Blaine repeats.

"Blaine...!" Kurt chastises, gesturing for Blaine to elaborate.

Blaine exhales audibly. "Accepted."

Kurt almost knocks over his own coke when he rounds the table to engulf Blaine in a hug.

"They would have been fools to reject you but… wow," he gushes, pulling back embarrassedly when he hears the waitress, who has just brought their plates, clear her throat to get their attention. She's nonchalant about it, though, and the only sign of amusement is the teasing glint in her eye when she tells them to enjoy their meal.

"So… is NYADA off the table?" Kurt asks carefully, once she's gone.

"No," Blaine says. "I'm torn, and the decision really isn't easy but…"

"But?" Kurt prompts when Blaine doesn't continue.

"I'm leaning towards NYU right now," he says and it sounds a bit nervous to Kurt ears.

"Cool," Kurt says, reaching for his coke.

"Is it?" Blaine asks uneasily.

Kurt sets his glass back down without having taken a sip.

"Blaine, come on. Of course it is. You know Quinn was rooting for you to go to New York. And, sure, I'd be happy to have you with me at NYADA but if the program isn't cut out for your needs, why go there anyway?"

Blaine sighs. "I don't know, I guess I feel weird declining Carmen Tibideaux's offer after she let me audition even though I was technically an applicant anymore."

"She also said you could always think it through later," Kurt points out. "She just wanted to give you a chance. You don't owe her anything." Kurt pauses. "Well, maybe a bouquet of flowers or a quick chit-chat when you come see me perform in one of her masterclasses or something," he adds as a joke.

Blaine chuckles. "That will probably be seen as bribery, but okay."

Kurt laughs. "My point is," he says, "it's really up to you. Which program appeals to you most?"

"I don't know," Blaine groans. "It's definitely not Yale, but between NYADA and NYU, it's complicated. If I want to become a performer, NYADA is probably my best option but my summer program is not going to be in performing and what if I realize that I really want to do composing or music education?" Blaine looks at Kurt eagerly. "Do you know how cool NYU's music education program sounds, Kurt?"

"So go with your gut," Kurt says with a shrug. "And if you think you've made a mistake, who's to say you can't transfer to the other school after your first semester?"

Blaine nods. "Then I'm probably gonna go with NYU and stay undeclared as a major for a while."

Now that the moment is here, Kurt feels so prepared for it, he doesn't even know what he was so scared of anymore. If this is the right decision for Blaine, he knows that it will be the right decision for _them_.

"Sounds good to me," he says happily. "Hey, we can go apartment hunting in the summer."

"Apar- oh," Blaine says. "You don't want to live in the dorms?"

"Not really," Kurt says. "It sure would be cool to feel like a real student and live in a dorm but have you heard all the horror stories? Plus, I'm too much of an interior designer to live in a measly dorm, probably with some slob who can't keep his side of the room clean."

"Huh, I haven't thought about that," Blaine admits.

"My dad suggested it," Kurt says. "And once the thought was there, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I even researched the best areas to live in. And-" He stops. Maybe he is getting ahead of himself again. "If you want to live in the NYU dorms, though, it's not a problem. Maybe I can convince Rachel or-"

"No, I… I think it's a good idea, I was just surprised," Blaine says slowly before looking up at Kurt with a coy glance. "I mean, you did just kind of ask me to move in with you."

Kurt almost chokes around a mouthful of food and blushes hard.

Moving in together. _Living_ together. Kurt is suddenly hit with a lot of fantasies he used to have about what his life was going to be with his, back then, very hypothetical boyfriend – cooking and baking together with matching aprons, sitting on the edge of the bathtub next to each other while brushing teeth together, tangled feet on the couch while reading books, sleepy morning duets, sleepy morning _sex_ , lots of sex, now that Kurt thinks about it, without sneaking around, and getting to see Blaine naked more often than clothed… Kurt wants that _right now_.

"Wow, I did, didn't I?" he breathes out, a little clueless as to why all of this didn't occur to him before.

Blaine nods happily and it's enough for Kurt to gather the courage to ask the question he's actually here to ask. After all, it does feel like light fare compared to moving in together.

"Blaine?" he asks.

"Yeah?"

"Will you go to prom with me?"

* * *

As soon as Kurt's home, he gets his laptop from the desk and lies down on the bed to contact Rachel on Facebook.

 _Kurt Hummel: I've got a date to my senior prom, can you believe it?_

 _Rachel Berry: Uh, Kurt, you've been dating Blaine for like half a year, how is this a surprise to you?_

 _Kurt Hummel: I know, I know, I'm being stupid._

 _Kurt Hummel: But remember last year, when I went stag? Or, well, as friends with you and Jesse but everyone knew I was just the third wheel._

 _Rachel Berry: Of course I do. Fun times…_

 _Kurt Hummel: Super fun, especially when I was crowned Prom Queen._

 _Rachel Berry: Hey, you rocked that tiara._

 _Kurt Hummel: Indeed, I did. But still, it's a huge deal for me to actually have someone to go with. Someone who'll hold my hand and dance with me._

 _Rachel Berry: That's wonderful, Kurt. :)_

 _Kurt Hummel: Thanks! :) Are you going with Finn? He hasn't told me anything yet._

 _Rachel Berry: Finn and I had a bit of a fight, actually._

 _Kurt Hummel: Oh. What happened?_

 _Rachel Berry: I got that summer internship on Broadway._

 _Kurt Hummel: Wow, that's great! But why the fight?_

Kurt holds off on actual concern until he knows what the deal is. He's actually pretty stoked that Rachel finally has something to keep her occupied in New York, too. And that way, she'll already have some theatre connections.

 _Rachel Berry: Well… Finn doesn't want to come to New York with me. He swears it's not for him. And there's something else but maybe Finn should tell you himself._

Oh. He stops holding off and lets himself be concerned for his best friend and his brother. The problems just seem to keep coming.

 _Kurt Hummel: I'm sorry, Rachel… but I'm sure you're going to be okay, no matter what he chooses._

He feels a bit stupid then, for freaking out about Blaine going to another school in the same city as him. Compared to what his friends will have to face, he's really lucky that Blaine and him are on the same page about the general _area_ in the United States. Almost all of the Glee couples will be apart for at least a year – Mercedes and Sam, Santana and Brittany, Tina and Mike… well, and Quinn hasn't entirely sealed the deal with Puck yet, so that one is still out in the open.

 _Rachel Berry: Just go ask Finn about the thing._

* * *

As it turns out, Kurt doesn't have to ask Finn about anything. His brother drops the news over dinner.

"You want to join the army?" Kurt asks, dumbstruck.

Finn nods. Carole looks like she is about to have a panic attack.

"Finn, have you thought that through?" Burt asks, voice apprehensive.

"Yeah," Finn says. "Puck and I are going together."

"Puck?" Kurt asks incredulously.

"He wants to be able to provide for his child and I… I just want to do what I thought my father did- honor my country, I mean." He pauses and continues in a much smaller voice, "Make myself useful."

Kurt gulps around the lump in his throat. He knew that Finn was struggling and that he didn't have any perspectives for what to do after school, but Kurt had somehow missed that the problem seemed to lie somewhere else, somewhere deeper. Finn felt like he didn't even have a _purpose_.

So much so that he'd rather go to the army with his former best friend who knocked up his ex-girlfriend instead of making plans with his current girlfriend.

Kurt can't imagine a world in which Rachel would have taken that well.

Carole sets down her fork. "Honey," she says, sounding close to tears. "Even if your father had died in Iraq, it wouldn't be what I imagined for your life. And he wouldn't want you to do this, either. We're proud of you just as you are."

"Mom," Finn says adamantly. "I want to do this. I don't have a college to go to and I don't want to watch everyone do something significant while I stay behind in Lima."

His pissed-off tone signals that he doesn't want to discuss it so they decide to drop the topic for the time being. But just before they finish their meal, Burt speaks up again, "Finn, before you enlist, why don't you help me out in the garage for a while? You'll get paid, you can save up some money and think about what you want to do. And if that's the army, I won't protest, okay?"

Carole looks like she wants to argue but Kurt shakes his head at her quickly. He knows his father is trying to postpone Finn's final decision, and he knows stalling is probably the best strategy to get Finn to reconsider.

Kurt sticks around after dinner when Finn starts to do the dishes. It's his turn this week.

"Don't," Finn says as soon as Kurt opens his mouth. "I know you're trying to talk me out of it."

Kurt grimaces. "Can I ask you about Rachel then?"

Finn shrugs. Kurt can see he's hurting.

"How bad was your fight?" he asks.

"I don't know," Finn says frustratedly. "She barely gives me room to breathe when we fight so she ended up talking all the way through our fight and to be honest, at one point I just gave up trying to listen."

"That sucks," Kurt says, knowing all too well how Rachel can get when she's mad. "She's sad, you know."

"Of course I know that." Finn stops scrubbing the plate he's holding and turns to Kurt. "But if I can't ask her to stay here with me, she can't ask me to come to New York with her. I don't want to live there. Sure, it would be cool to be close to her, and to you, too, but I don't know what I'd be doing there. I'd feel small there."

"Which really says something." Kurt's attempt at a joke has them both half-smiling but the tension is still palpable.

"I don't know if Rachel and I are gonna survive long distance," Finn admits, voice turning sad. "But we're definitely not going to survive, either, if I just tag along and watch Rachel become something. I need to do something, too."

"I understand," Kurt says softly. He leans close to the counter and strokes his arm briefly. "But I'm there'd be things for you to do in New York… just think things through a bit, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Finn says with a small smile.

Kurt figures it's all he can do for now and leaves Finn to finish his chores.

"Hey, are you coming to senior ditch day?" Finn calls after him.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world!" Kurt shouts back, already halfway up the stairs.

Of course he is going. He's not going to stay behind in school when his classmates go out to have fun. His senior year has been magical so far and he imagines senior ditch day is going to be another thing to add to the list.

* * *

The location Brittany and Rick the Stick choose for senior ditch day is Six Flags. Most of the Glee club seniors are excited to go but Quinn just makes a pained face as she walks up to Brittany to jot down her name on the sign-up sheet.

"Great idea, Britt, a senior ditch day I can't actually get anything out of," she mumbles, stroking her belly.

"But you're coming, right?" Brittany pouts.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Quinn asks. "The baby's due date is in two weeks, and I already have to miss prom… at least I want to be able to partake in _some_ senior traditions."

Brittany beams. "Okay, on the bus with you then."

Quinn holds up her hands. "Oh, no," she says. "Not getting on the bus. My doctor would kill me."

"She's riding with me," Kurt says from behind her before Brittany can get too confused. "And so are Blaine and Puck."

He reaches over Quinn's shoulder to retrieve the pen, signs his name on the list and passes the pen to Blaine.

"Shotgun!" Puck calls.

"Quinn's in the front," Kurt reminds him, to which Puck mumbles a small, "Oh, right."

"Wow," Puck says with a frown once he is seated next to Blaine. "I can't remember the last time I sat in the back."

"Cool kid problems," Kurt comments dryly but there's no bite behind it. He's actually looking forward to his senior ditch day, as long as he can manage to literally ditch the weirdos of their class and just hang out with his friends.

The drive itself is pretty boring. Puck and Blaine fall asleep pretty quickly, leaving Quinn and Kurt to talk amongst themselves. He glances over to her every other minute to make sure she's fine until she gives him a pointed look and tells him her gynecologist said it was safe to travel as long as they took a break every now and then.

Thankfully, there's not much traffic so the journey goes pretty smoothly and they spend their time singing along softly to whatever's on the radio station. They even arrive at Six Flags before the bus.

Once everyone arrives, they saunter off in small groups. The Glee seniors all stick together and try out some of the latest rollercoasters. Most of the time, and especially after one particularly hell-ish ride, Blaine and Kurt stay behind with Quinn, getting snacks or just taking goofy pictures.

Blaine is just showing Kurt the spot where his mom made Quinn and him perform a lot when they were younger when they hear a loud gasp behind them.

They turn around, finding Quinn looking down on herself with a horrified expression.

"Quinn, what's wrong?" Blaine asks immediately, rushing towards her and supporting her back with the hand that's not currently holding cotton candy. "Quinn? Say something."

Kurt follows Quinn's gaze unto her pants and notices the wetness in the same moment Quinn looks up to Blaine and whispers, "My water just broke."

* * *

 ** _A/N: Stay tuned for the last chapter (hopefully to be posted within a week!). :) Also, please ignore the geography for the Six Flags trip... Glee didn't seem to care about it, so I thought I shouldn't either. ;)_**


	9. All for Freedom and for Pleasure

**_A/N: Honeys, we're almost at the end. And yes, I said almost even though I told you this would be the last part - but there's more! And the person you can thank for that is a-simple-rainbow because she is the most amazing beta reader (thank you!) and she was all for extending the last bit of this story into an epilogue. :)_**

* * *

 **\- All for Freedom and for Pleasure -**

Suddenly, all Kurt can think is: _Fast. Everything has to be fast._

His body has not fully caught up with his brain when Blaine steers Quinn over to a bench – _fast_ – to get her in a seated position, and when some random bystanders start asking him questions – _fast_ – about what's happening and he just gawks at them.

But when Blaine calls out to him, "Kurt, can you call someone?" – _fast_ – Kurt is startled out of his stunned paralysis and fishes his phone out of his pocket – _fast_.

It's not until the second ring that it registers in the back of his mind that maybe Blaine wanted him to call out for help right in the park, maybe a staff member, or possibly call an ambulance, but he doesn't hang up. It's the first person he can think of when in a medical emergency.

"Carole!" he almost yells into the speaker when he gets through to her, and crouches down next to Blaine in front of the bench.

"Kurt, honey, are you enjoyi-"

"Quinn's water just broke and we don't know what to do," Kurt babbles, putting her on speaker so Blaine and Quinn can hear her too. "We need your help."

Carole doesn't beat around the bush, doesn't ask unnecessary questions; she just walks Kurt and Blaine through the next steps – keeping Quinn calm and comfortable, finding out where the nearest hospital is, getting her out of the park and to said hospital, checking for any signs of discomfort in Quinn's body language, and, once they get to the hospital, providing the hospital with her medical information or calling her gynecologist to fill them in.

As Blaine starts asking the bystanders about nearby hospitals, Kurt stays with Quinn and lets her talk to Carole.

"Quinn, sweetie, I will stay on the phone with you until you're at the hospital, okay?" Carole says quietly. "Have your contractions started yet?"

"No." Quinn licks her lips and her breath stutters when she continues, "But- Carole, it's too early, the due date is in two weeks- what if-"

Kurt bites his lip. That thought hasn't even occurred to him yet amidst all the panicking. Quinn must be terrified that something is wrong with her baby. He takes her hand and squeezes while she listens to Carole's soothing voice.

"Honey, it happens," Carole says expertly. "You won't be the first woman who delivers a perfectly healthy baby two weeks early."

"But I-"

"Beth and you are going to be fine, okay?"

"Okay," Quinn breathes out shakily.

"Now, since your water already broke, it is possible for your contractions to start soon. They don't necessarily have to start right away, though, so you can stay calm and wait for it to happen."

Quinn frowns. "What if they don't come?"

"The doctors can induce labor if needed," Carole replies. "But that's a question we can file away for later. For now, we need to get you to the hospital so they can assess the situation."

"Do I need to stay there?" Quinn asks, sounding a little scared.

Kurt just looks between her and the phone. He's in a bit of a haze – he's never had to deal with this kind of thing and it has never even crossed his mind that the process of delivering a baby might be a little more complex than what he's seen in the movies.

Carole hesitates a little before replying. "I can't promise you anything," she says. "The doctors will ask you about the moment your water broke, and they will check for infections. Whatever they find might influence their decision. It is possible that they let you go home if you haven't gone into labor by then."

"It's just-" Quinn bites her lip. "I want my stepmom to be there."

"We'll call her when we're on our way," Kurt promises immediately. "We're not that far out, I'm sure she will make it in time."

"Right," Carole agrees. "Now, Quinn, we can't say for sure when you are going into labor – as soon as the contractions start, I need you to breathe through them, can you do that for me?"

Quinn nods, already trying to slow her breathing even though nothing is happening yet, and Kurt quickly confirms her understanding.

"Good." Carole exhales. "Okay. Kurt, you drove, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you think you can drive her?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Carole asks. "If you don't think you're up for it, if you think you might be too distracted to drive, I want you to call an ambulance or a cab."

"No, it's fine!" Kurt says right away. "I'm good, I can handle it."

Quinn shoots him a thankful smile but at the same moment, her mouth stretches into a grimace as she doubles over and holds her belly tight.

"Quinn, what is it?" Kurt asks worriedly.

She doesn't say anything, just winces in pain.

"Contractions?" Kurt tries to clarify. "Now?!"

"Uh-uh," she grits out.

Kurt looks around for Blaine but he can't spot him. They're surrounded by a crowd of people who are discussing and watching, some of them looking like they want to help, but Kurt just needs them to be gone. _Fast. Now._

"Blaine!" he calls loudly.

"Remember to breathe slowly," Carole says and Quinn visibly tries to, but tears are starting to well up in her eyes and Kurt has a feeling that breathing is sort of a tall order for her at the moment.

"Blaine!"

"Move it along!" a voice yells, and Santana comes marching through the crowd, Blaine, Mercedes, and a pale-faced Puck trailing behind her quickly. Santana shoos away some people who haven't budged yet. "Can you give us some space, morons? It might look like entertainment to you, but this is _not_ the 12 pm dolphin show. Get lost!"

Her rant seems to scare enough people away to get them some room to breathe. Puck sits down next to Quinn and lays an arm around her while muttering something probably just meant for her. It seems that Quinn's first contraction has stopped, and when Blaine is sufficiently convinced that she's fine for now, he shows them a messily scrawled note with written directions to the hospital.

"It's not far," he says. "If we go now, we can be there in twenty minutes."

"Can you hold out that long, Quinn?" Mercedes asks.

Quinn doesn't answer but Carole speaks up again, "It is highly unlikely for her to deliver that fast. She might not even deliver today. But it's better you go now while there's still a lot of time between the contractions so that she can be at the hospital when they get more frequent and painful."

"More painful?" Quinn asks, voice gone scratchy and weak.

"Hey, you can do it, Q," Santana says gently. "You're the strongest one in the squad, remember?"

Blaine takes Quinn's hand and pulls her up slowly. "You heard Carole, we need to get going," he says. "Can you walk?"

Quinn nods and starts walking with the help of Blaine and Mercedes. Kurt is still on the phone with Carole, giving her quick descriptions of everything that's happening, and tells her the address of the hospital so she can contact Pam, too.

When they get to Kurt's Navigator, they make quick work of getting Quinn as comfortable as possible on the front passenger seat and fastening her seat belt. When she's in a secure position, Blaine and Puck climb in immediately.

Kurt turns to Mercedes and Santana. "What about you? Should I put up the second-row bench so you can both come with us?"

"No need," Santana says quickly. "Mercedes, you go with them, I'll stay behind and catch a cab with the others."

Mercedes takes the seat directly behind Kurt. Puck is sitting in the middle seat, holding Quinn's hand while Blaine strokes her shoulders lightly from where he's sitting behind her.

Kurt gets in, too, and passes his phone to Mercedes before he starts the car. The drive is pretty silent except for Mercedes' regular updates for Carole, and Quinn doesn't have another contraction until they're halfway through it, when she suddenly wails and squeezes Puck's hand so hard that he starts making a noise similar to hers.

"Quinn, breathe," Blaine says quietly. "We're almost there, you can do it."

Quinn squirms and writhes on her seat, and Kurt does his best to just ignore the pain his friend is in and drive on like nothing happened.

"Can you call Pam?" Quinn asks Blaine when the contraction is over, voice gone slightly panicky. "I need her here."

Blaine nods and pulls up his mom's number in the contacts. Kurt is just pulling into the right street when Blaine's mom answers the phone. After all, he promised Carole to stay focused.

"Mom!" Blaine says into the receiver. "Quinn's in labor. We're at a hospital near… uh, Athens." There's a pause when Pam seems to go into a panic mode of her own. "Yes, she's fine, but she was asking for you. Can you come? Yeah, Athens should still be in Ohio… right?" The others nod. "It's Ohio. No, Carole said we should get her to the nearest one, in case the contractions start getting worse. Uh, the address, wait…"

Kurt fumbles for the paper slip on the dashboard and hands it to Blaine, who rattles off the address quickly. Pam seems to ask more questions because Blaine starts recounting the last half hour in detail before he sticks his head between Kurt and Quinn's seats and addresses his sister, "Mom asks if you need her to bring anything…?"

Quinn shakes her head but when Blaine is about to retreat to the backseat, she lets go of Puck's hand and grabs Blaine's arm instead.

"My hospital bag!" she gasps. "It's packed, she just needs to get it from my room."

Kurt pulls into the parking lot, just looking for the nearest empty spot with some help from Mercedes and Puck, and waits for Blaine to finish talking to his mom before he turns to Quinn.

"Let's get you to a doctor."

* * *

The better part of the next few hours is spent waiting. Quinn comes in and out of rooms, talking to several doctors. Blaine and Puck are always within reach, pushing her wheelchair, helping her walk between contractions, or getting her something to drink. The rest of the Glee seniors has arrived as well and they've all taken to lounging in the chairs. Brittany looks a little confused as to what is going on but she has her head on Santana's shoulder and seems to be content just waiting alongside the others.

Most of them are unusually quiet, though, especially Rachel, who has barely said a word, just observing the happenings from her seat next to Finn. Finn himself seems to feel a mixture of shock and relief – shock that this is happening for real but relief that it is not happening to _him_ like he previously believed.

Kurt and Mercedes have taken on phone duty and check in with the adults who keep calling every five minutes or so, namely Pam, Carole, Burt and Puck's mom. It's not like they have big news to announce – Quinn's stats are fine and even though the baby technically isn't due yet, the doctors seem to be convinced that everything is fine – they keep them updated nevertheless.

When Quinn isn't howling in pain, she looks exhausted and dazed, leaning into Puck's touches or stroking her belly distractedly.

It's been almost four hours when Blaine comes out of Quinn's room, looking utterly tired himself, collapsing on the seat next to Kurt's.

"Everything okay?" Kurt asks tentatively.

"Yeah, she fell asleep after her last contraction," Blaine says. "But the doctor said she's probably gonna wake up again soon, the time between contractions is starting to get less and less."

"So Beth…?"

"… is going to be born in a few hours if everything goes according to plan, yes," Blaine confirms, and looks fascinated all of a sudden. "Kurt, I'm going to be an uncle."

Kurt smiles. "Weird, huh? When this all started, I thought we were both going to be the baby's uncles…"

"What are you talking about?" Blaine says with a small laugh. "You're still going to be one."

Kurt frowns. "The baby is Puck's."

"Yeah, but Beth is still going to call you uncle Kurt," Blaine replies, glancing up at Kurt with a coy, tentative smile. "I mean, you're my boyfriend… doesn't that kind of mean you're family?"

Kurt's heart flutters. Blaine called him _family_.

"Extended family," Kurt points out nonetheless, trying to hide how affected he is by the choice of word, and Blaine's cheeks take on a hint of color.

"Right, I mean… maybe it's a bit early for this- just forget I said that, it'll be a while until Beth learns to speak anyway and, uh, well-"

"No," Kurt interrupts. "I… is it okay if I don't want to forget you said it?"

Blaine blinks, clearly surprised.

Kurt breathes out shakily.

He doesn't care that they're young and that it's too early. He's going to _live_ with Blaine, and they're going to be uncle Blaine and uncle Kurt, and they're going to babysit Beth every once in a while, and maybe someday along the way – some far away day, but someday nonetheless – they will have kids of their own. The thought is making him lightheaded.

And to think he _just_ got used to having a boyfriend – now there's the word _family_ on top of that.

Yeah, it's making him very, _very_ lightheaded.

"I love you," he mutters and leans in to kiss Blaine, who kisses back eagerly before leaning back and murmuring the words right back.

* * *

Blaine falls asleep on Kurt's shoulder and sleeps through the next contractions. Kurt is tempted to wake him up because he feels like Blaine might want to be there for Quinn but Mercedes checks the situation and tells him Puck has everything under control, so they let him sleep.

It's how Pam finds them when she finally arrives at the hospital.

"Mom," Blaine mumbles sleepily into her shoulder when she hugs him tight, "you're going to be a grandma… do you feel old yet?"

Pam smacks him on the head in response.

"Where is she?" she asks once they're done teasing each other.

Blaine takes her to Quinn's room and Kurt decides to get all of them some coffee. Mercedes accompanies him, and they carry the cups back to Quinn's room. When they come in, Quinn has just had another contraction,her red face a stark contrast against the light blue hospital gown.

"That one was quite long," Blaine comments.

"You think?" Quinn growls, but deflates quickly. "Sorry."

Blaine shrugs and pushes a strand of hair out of her face. "Hey, it's your big day, you get to yell at me all you want."

Quinn turns to Pam. "Teach me your ways of raising children," she pants. "If Beth turns out half as decent as Blaine, I'll consider it a job done right."

Pam laughs. "I wish I knew. He might be nice now but he used to be a real pain when he was younger."

"Hey," Blaine grumbles, and everyone giggles. "It's _Quinn's_ special day, mom, you don't get a pass."

Quinn flinches all of a sudden and everybody jumps to their feet.

"What is it?" Puck asks, looking pale. "Another contraction? Already? Should I call the doctor?"

"No, no," Quinn says hastily. "Beth just kicked me. Hard." She turns to Pam with a concerned look on her face. "Do you think it's really going to be okay that she's two weeks early?"

Pam strokes her cheek gently. "Cooper was early, too. Only a few days but I was so scared. It was fine, though, he turned out to be perfectly okay. Sometimes babies just know when it's time."

"Yeah, great timing," Quinn mutters. "First time I left town in months."

"At least she's not going to be born in Lima," Kurt quips. "She probably wanted to save herself from the misery."

It's a pretty awkward joke but it makes Quinn smile at him.

"Yeah, she's a fighter," she whispers proudly. "And- oooh, no, not another one. Aaaargh."

It's the first contraction Kurt witnesses in a few hours and it's easy to see that they have increased in pain and intensity. At one point, Quinn isn't even making sounds anymore, just twisting her face into a grimace and grinding her teeth.

He's about to turn to Blaine and ask if the doctors are expecting her to deliver anytime soon when the contraction is immediately followed by another one and Puck says, "Screw it, I'm getting the doctor now."

Quinn manages to nod in agreement, holding on to the metal bars of her bed. Blaine rubs her arm soothingly and Pam is trying to calm Quinn's breathing by counting along.

Mercedes takes Kurt's arm. "Maybe we should go," she says.

Kurt nods. "We'll be right outside," he whispers to Blaine, and Blaine shoots him a small smile in response.

They are just leaving the room when the doctor comes back in, and Kurt catches only a few words of the hurried conversation before the door slams shut.

"Alright, looks like your daughter is ready to go on her first adventure, Miss Fabray."

* * *

Giving birth must be absolutely excruciating, if the screaming that can be heard through Quinn's closed door is any indication. Kurt listens on in silence, hoping that Quinn is okay even if it sounds like she's far from it.

Towards the end, though, he can hear her shout words instead of random noises, and when he makes out a "You suck, you suck, you suck," probably directed at Puck, he knows Quinn is going to be alright.

He catches Santana's smirk across the waiting room and grins back. Everyone else is just focused on themselves, Rachel is straightening her skirt over and over again and Mike's gaze is fixated onto the door in fascination.

It seems like hours until two nurses finally emerge from Quinn's room and announce the happy news, "Your friend just had a beautiful baby girl."

Kurt lets himself be hugged tight by Mercedes, and it isn't until Blaine comes out of Quinn's room, grinning with a flushed, happy face, and asks Kurt if he wants to see his niece, that Kurt untangles himself from his friend's embrace and gets up on shaky feet.

When he steps into the room, Pam is sitting on a chair just shaking her head to herself with a wide smile, observing the two brand-new parents cradling their baby with joyous wonder written all over their faces.

"Oh my god," Kurt breathes out when he sees Beth for the first time.

Her tiny fingers are curled into fists and her small, pink mouth is opened in awe as she looks at her mother. Beth couldn't possibly be more beautiful.

Kurt takes a tentative step towards the bed.

"Hi, Beth," he says quietly. "You're just as gorgeous as your mom."

Quinn laughs but she's still crying and it comes out as a little hiccup.

"She's perfect," she whispers. "She's my perfect thing."

Puck doesn't say a word, he just gulps and keeps one supportive hand on Beth's little body. Kurt smiles at him; he's never seen McKinley's resident bad boy quite so openly vulnerable.

Blaine steps closer to the bed and leans down to give Quinn a quick kiss on the forehead.

"And you're her perfect mom," he tells her sweetly, making her smile and Beth's mouth stretching into something like a grin as she makes a delighted little noise.

"Do you want to hold her?" Quinn asks Blaine, who nods zealously.

Kurt can't really put his finger on the strange feeling that overcomes him when he sees Blaine hold his tiny niece in his arms – but his heart is beating wildly in his chest, and the way Blaine looks at Beth with warm adoration makes him get tingly all over.

But the feeling that overshadows everything else is when Blaine looks up from Beth and turns his head to Kurt with a wide smile on his face, like he knows exactly what it is that Kurt is thinking, even when Kurt doesn't quite know it himself.

As it is, he just finds himself returning the look with a beam of his own.

* * *

After everyone has marveled at Quinn and Puck's daughter and sufficiently congratulated the pair, Santana manages to convince the ditch day bus driver to make a detour to the hospital on his way back from Six Flags to pick up the Glee seniors. It means that Kurt doesn't have to play the driver for everyone and get them back to Lima in little groups. He briefly considers sending the man some flowers because he doesn't think he could have driven 3 hours back and forth and then back again – he quite agrees with the idea of staying at the hospital overnight, Blaine and him taking turns sleeping on each other's shoulders and waiting until it's time for the hospital to discharge Quinn.

When they're both awake, they spend their time drinking coffee or playing Yahtzee with Puck and Pam. They're way into their fifth game or so when Quinn emerges from her room wearing a pink bathrobe and looking slightly panicked.

"Where's Beth?" she asks, rubbing her bloodshot eyes.

"Woah, hey," Blaine says, springing to his feet and taking his sister's hands. "Beth is fine, she's in the nursery."

"She's not gone?" Quinn whispers, face distressed. "I dreamed she was gone."

Puck gets up, too, and hugs Quinn. "She's still here," he says gently. "It was just a nightmare. Do you want to go see her?"

Quinn nods quickly and lets herself be steered away by Puck, hugging herself tightly and taking slow, shuffling steps.

"She's so young," Pam says sadly as she watches her step-daughter go. "I hope everything with New Haven works out."

"Mom." Blaine sits close to her and hugs her from the side. "It's going to be fine. She'll be close to me and I promise I'll take good care of her."

"That's not what I mean," Pam says, and smiles at her son a little sheepishly. "I haven't told you this yet but… I've been talking to Quinn about moving to New Haven."

Blaine frowns. "What do you mean?"

Pam takes a deep breath. "I mean, I'd be moving there with her."

"Mom, wha- you want to move?" Blaine asks. "Why am I only hearing about this now?"

Kurt contemplates getting up to get some coffee but he can't quite make himself move. He busies himself with studying Blaine's face instead, trying to decipher if he's mad at his mom for not telling him about such an important step. But it seems Blaine is rather confused than actually upset, if the pout and the slight frown are anything to go by.

"It's something we only started talking about this week," Pam starts, hesitating a little like she hasn't gotten to the same conclusion as Kurt yet. "But, you know, working from home gives me a lot of mobility. I can do my job from anywhere. And once you and Quinn have moved out, it's only going to be me at home… with all those memories of Russel still there. I would have moved anyway, Blaine."

Really, when she puts it like that, Kurt thinks, her decision had to be expected. Pam is a very social person, a little overwhelmingly so, when he thinks back to the first time he met her, squished against her chest within seconds – Kurt can't really imagine someone like her staying in such a big house all by herself.

"I get it," Blaine says softly. "I was just surprised you didn't tell me right away."

"It's a very recent decision, I-"

"No, really, I get it," Blaine insists. "But are you sure your job won't suffer?"

"Sweetie, if my blog and my columns didn't suffer from living in boring-as-hell Lima, I'm pretty sure living close to New York and Boston and Washington is actually going to be the opposite of suffering."

Blaine giggles. "Okay, okay, you may have a point."

Pam looks over to Kurt. "Plus, I'll have connections to Vogue soon enough," she adds with a smirk.

Kurt blushes. "It's ," he corrects out of habit. "And I haven't even gotten an answer yet."

"They'd be fools not to employ an up-and-coming fashion blogger _and_ musical performance major at NYADA," Blaine says with his usual sense of pride whenever he talks about Kurt, and it only serves to deepen the blush.

So, the fashion blogging had been Pam's idea. She let Kurt guest write on her blog a few times, including a gallery featuring Kurt's most fashionable outfits, and Kurt's still a bit overwhelmed with the response one or two of his articles have gotten. He even found one of them featured on a fashion page he likes on Facebook, which had almost sent him falling off his chair in shock.

He's tempted to just agree with Blaine and believe that he is going to get the job – something in him _does_ agree – but it feels more natural to him to just dismiss the praise and keep his expectations low so he won't be too disappointed if it doesn't work out.

They're talking about Isabelle Wright here. It might _just_ be , and not the actual magazine, but the fact remains that Miss Wright is a fashion icon.

He's about to deflect and ask if anyone wants coffee after all when Quinn and Puck reappear in the hallway, Puck holding Beth and kissing her soft hair and Quinn tearing her gaze away from her daughter to announce to the others, "The doctors said we can go in an hour, they just want to do some last check-ups."

Realizing that he has to be awake enough to drive back to Lima for about three hours, Kurt does slip away quickly to get himself that coffee.

* * *

Of course, Quinn misses school more often than not now that she has a baby to take care of but the teachers turn out to be very accepting of the fact, especially since Quinn has been a model student for most of her time at McKinley High, has already been accepted to a renowned school and is willing to take her finals just like every other student, studying at home whenever Beth is asleep.

Blaine tells Kurt she's so exhausted by the end of the day that she just falls asleep on the couch where she studies. Puck has apparently offered numerous times to stay home as well and take care of Beth but Quinn insists that unlike her, he needs to actually stay in school in order to graduate.

Kurt misses having lunch with her – he's more than fine with having Blaine there to keep him company, of course, but it's not quite the same without Quinn there. It gets him in a weird mood whenever he thinks about it because soon, they will live even further apart and he's starting to miss his friends already.

They have, like, three major milestones ahead of them – prom, nationals, and graduation – and then that's it. He'll be heading to New York pretty soon after that, provided that he actually gets the internship (he checks his email every two hours or so, and disappointment washes over him every time he opens his inbox to finds junk mails instead of important application responses).

He wishes he could just press a fast forward button on the remote control for his life and get to that place in his dreams where he is already leading an accomplished, successful life in New York with Blaine and Rachel at his side, without having to go through the anxiety of actually having to _plan_ that future.

"Everything alright?" Blaine asks him when they're both lying on Kurt's bed, attempting to study for their English quiz – well, Blaine is attempting to study, Kurt can't even muster up the motivation to try and gives up entirely after five minutes, just staring at his sheets in frustration.

Kurt considers the random excuses his mind provides him with at once, but in the end he goes for honesty. Because this is _Blaine_ , and Blaine always understands.

"I feel like everything is going a bit too fast for me at the moment," he admits, sighing and rolling over onto his back.

Blaine, still lying on his belly, scoots over and hooks his chin over Kurt's hipbone.

"You mean school?"

"School," Kurt confirms, but adds, "and moving to New York, and not seeing my friends anymore once I leave school."

"I thought McKinley was full of Neanderthals and you only cared about a handful of people," Blaine teases softly but his face turns solemn right afterwards. "I know what you mean. But, hey, we're going to be in New York together, and Rachel is going to be there, and Quinn will only live two hours away from us."

"Mercedes is going to LA, though," Kurt counters, propping himself up on his elbows to look at Blaine. "And Finn still doesn't know if he's going to enlist in the army – I don't even know how often I am going to see my own brother, Blaine."

"It'll all work out." Blaine offers him a small smile. "Focus on the positive."

"The only positive, really, is you," Kurt says. Blaine looks a little taken aback at that, and when Kurt realizes it sounded like Blaine wouldn't be enough for him, he hurries to add, "Not that I'm unhappy about that. I love that I get to live with you. But I'll miss my friends. And New York is so big… who knows if I even get to hang out with Rachel on the regular? School dorms aren't an option for her and rent is terrible in New York, what if she has to move to… I don't know, Newark, or… Hackensack? I barely get so see her now even though she lives a few blocks away."

Blaine hums, looking thoughtful with his eyes cast downward on the fabric of Kurt's shirt.

"What if…" he starts, sounding hesitant, "what if Rachel moved in with us?"

Kurt frowns, surprised that Blaine would even suggest that.

"Don't you want to live with me… you know, alone?"

Blaine bites his lip. "Of course I do," he says in a low, soft voice. "And we will, eventually. But I've been thinking about Rachel, too, and if Finn really isn't coming with her, maybe us supporting her… you know, with rent, but also as friends, isn't the worst idea, don't you think?"

Kurt nods slowly. "Yeah, you might be right. Are you really okay with that?"

"I am," Blaine says earnestly. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't. Are you, though? It's just an idea, you don't have to agree."

Kurt thinks for a moment. "I mean," he says with a little grin, "I had this whole thing planned out, with going to sleep naked and feeding you berries for breakfast, you know, also naked, and then going back to bed and having lots of sex…"

He trails off with a little sigh, and Blaine hides a smile in Kurt's shirt.

"Are we ever wearing clothes in that little fantasy of yours?" he asks cheekily once he lifts his head.

"Not really," Kurt admits. "That part would suffer severely if Rachel lived with us, I guess."

"Just the wearing clothes part, though, not the having lots of sex part, right?"

"I don't know," Kurt says with a grimace. "Having a roommate would probably be a little counterproductive to that part, too."

"Well, like I said, we don't have to. I just thought-"

"No, I want to ask her," Kurt says. "I mean, I love you, and I can't wait to make that whole being-naked-all-the-time thing a reality but… if postponing it for a while means that my best friend won't have to live all the way out of town, I think I can deal."

Blaine's grin suddenly turns a little wicked. "And sneaking around can be sort of exciting."

"I'd rather not have Rachel walk in on us," Kurt groans.

Blaine's eyes travel a little sideways and with his head still conveniently positioned on Kurt's hip, it's pretty easy to figure out what he's thinking. Kurt blushes.

"Oh my god," he breathes out. "You are _not_ getting turned on by the thought of Rachel catching us having sex."

Blaine giggles, and it's really cute, but his voice drops almost an octave when he replies, and suddenly it's a lot less cute and a lot more seductive. "Nope," he says. "Just thinking we could practice."

Kurt isn't sure why that tone always manages to make him feel like the room temperature just increased by at least a hundred degrees but it does and Blaine's smirk really isn't helping at all.

"Practice what exactly?"

"Being quiet," Blaine replies, already mouthing along Kurt's belt, and, wow, okay, if that is what is in store for him even if Rachel does move in with them, he guesses they won't have to make too many compromises.

* * *

Even though Kurt doesn't do too well on that first… practice session, and Blaine doesn't do any better, either, much to Kurt's delight, they still approach Rachel the next day to ask her what she thinks of their plan. She thinks they're joking at first and responds with an air of arrogance that Kurt immediately detects as hurt, but once the message really sinks in and she's sure that they're being serious, she hugs both of them close and thanks them for being such amazing friends.

Kurt is not sure if he's ever consciously used the phrase _karma is a bitch_ but if he has, he owes karma a ridiculously huge apology, maybe some flowers and a box of chocolate, because that same day is also the day he miraculously, finally receives an email from Isabelle Wright's office, asking him to schedule a Skype interview with the woman herself later in the week.

So, karma seems to be on his side.

He's a bit scared he's going to screw up the interview, though, and fiddles with his clothes about a million times before finally logging into his Skype account and waiting for his – hopefully – future boss to call him.

Once she does, he's so nervous, he barely even manages to press the green button. His screen is suddenly filled with a really nice-looking office and the bright smile of the woman he's only been able to admire from the distance so far. She introduces herself as Isabelle Wright, which is a bit redundant considering he's already read everything there is to know about her, and tells him that she's from Columbus and that she has gotten food poisoning from Breadstix once when she visited Lima.

Kurt can't really wrap his head around the fact that she's been to Lima, much less that she's eaten at Breadstix, the garden of which is the place where he first kissed his boyfriend.

He suddenly wonders if he was too harsh the day he told Rachel that Barbra Streisand couldn't possibly be found shopping at a mall in Ohio.

Because karma is such a nice, gentle soul.

Karma being lovely results in him getting the job after a few fashion-related questions that, if he hadn't been so nervous, Kurt could have answered in his sleep. As it is, though, Isabelle, who begged him to call her Isabelle and not "that Miss Wright nonsense that makes me sound like an old hag", didn't seem to mind his jittery rambling and actually beamed at him throughout the whole interview.

He's getting the feeling he will really come to like his internship.

Though it is highly likely he will blush all kinds of colors when he meets Isabelle in person for the first time because for someone who doesn't really know him, she certainly already has a lot of intel on his life, and while she only hints at some of it, the info she does have makes Kurt know exactly who to blame for that.

Pam actually has the decency to give him an apologetic look when he asks her over dinner if it was really necessary to tell his future boss that he was dating her son, but still insists that it was truly important to lay her cards on the table.

"Kurt, if I had hidden the fact that you're my son's boyfriend and she found out, it would have looked like I was only doing you a personal favor," she argues. "But I do think you're a great candidate for the job and I wanted to make sure she knew I wasn't just being partial."

Her eyes are still shifting a little bit and Kurt knows that she isn't being entirely truthful.

"There is more," he says, squinting at her, and is thankful that she is such an approachable person because he feels comfortable with her in a way he most definitely he wouldn't if this was, say, Quinn's father.

"Alright, alright," she admits. "There were other reasons."

"Mom," Blaine asks, mortified. "What on earth did you write?"

"Hey, first of all, Kurt got the job so my letter must have been good," Pam reminds everyone at the table, and even takes her time throwing Beth a stern look as if she was in on the conversation as well when in reality, she is just sucking on her pacifier with wide eyes while playing with a strand of Quinn's hair. Pam's demeanor turns a little sheepish when she continues, though. "And, second of all, it wasn't exactly anything I wrote."

"But?" Quinn asks, looking truly intrigued the way a person looks when they sense some really good gossip.

"I, uh, I might have accidentally attached a picture of Kurt and Blaine cuddling on the hospital chair instead of Kurt's letter of recommendation in the first email I sent her," Pam mumbles and takes a spoonful of her soup in defeat.

"What?!" Blaine exclaims, while Kurt just blanches, and Quinn starts cackling hysterically, making Beth frown at her and pull her hair in frustration.

"Ouch, Beth, stop that," Quinn says, still wheezing with laughter. "Oh my god, Pam, that is hilarious."

"I didn't even know there was such a picture," Blaine says, obviously flabbergasted.

Kurt groans. "You were sleeping, we didn't wake you up because you looked so adorable."

"Why did you send her that?!"

"I'm sorry, it was an accident," Pam repeats, biting her lip. "Both files started with a K for Kurt, and I had both of it saved on my desktop because I wanted to send your brother some pictures of the day of Beth's birth… and, uh, I just saw 'Kurt', attached the file, and sent it."

Quinn giggles. "What did Kurt's boss say?"

"She sent me a really nice reply asking me if I meant to send her a picture of her applicant and his boyfriend – she called both of you very handsome and adorable, by the way – or if I actually had the recommendation letter I promised her in the previous email."

"Oh my god," Blaine says and bangs his head on the table.

"Oh my god indeed," Kurt agrees and Blaine's hand finds his between their chairs.

"I'm sorry," Blaine groans into the wooden surface of the table. "I should have never suggested my mom for that letter, I know better than that."

Kurt laughs despite the embarrassment of it all. "Nonsense," he says and gives Pam a small smile. "I got the job, and hey, I'm probably saving myself the awkwardness of having to come out to everyone at the office."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're the talk of the year," Quinn agrees, still smirking.

"So you're not mad?" Pam asks carefully.

"Nah," Kurt says amicably, "Isabelle seemed really impressed, and I know it can't just have been my résumé, so… thank you."

And, really, he is thankful.

Because finally, _finally_ , he can make plans with Blaine and Rachel to actually book their plane tickets. They get together the next day and peruse various websites to get the cheapest yet most convenient flight.

"So, we're in agreement?" Blaine asks after one and a half hour of searching and arguing, and sums up their plans, "One week after graduation, we'll take the flight from Columbus to Newark around noon and rent a cheap Airbnb place for two weeks so we won't have to find an apartment right away?"

Kurt and Rachel both confirm their agreement with a nod.

It's their best option, really. Kurt has briefly considered scheduling an apartment viewing via Skype, but after reading some New York specific horror stories online, he's fairly certain the in-person approach might be a much better solution. And, the more he thinks about it, the more fun it sounds to actually go apartment hunting with his boyfriend and his best friend. And it's so very domestic. He's looking for a _place_ _to live_ with his boyfriend.

And now he actually has a plane ticket.

Hell, he hasn't even picked up his prom tickets yet.

Prom is about a month away and, of course, it's the talk of the season. Kurt is beyond glad that he doesn't have to worry about his date on top of Glee club and future plans because everybody in Glee club seems to freak out about it, even the couples. Some of it is to be expected, like Mercedes and Tina investing all of their free time to find the right dresses, and some of it is… a little scarily intense. Kurt has lost count of how many times Santana yelled at several horrified-looking guys in the hallway and suggested that they get a date with Miss Michigan instead of asking out Brittany.

Rachel and Finn still haven't figured out if they want to go public with their relationship or not – Rachel is convinced that it will only serve to make them doubt their future together even more – so most of their pre-prom time is spent looking at each other longingly at lunch or at Glee or basically everywhere, and singing excruciatingly wistful songs in Glee club, one of which has Santana leaning over to Kurt and hissing, "So are they ever come out of their couple closet or are they waiting for someone to build a large enough door for Frankenteen to fit through it?"

Kurt doesn't really know how to respond to that but his lack of reaction probably confirms Santana's suspicions anyway.

So, everyone has their moments of pre-prom insanity and Kurt prides himself in staying out of trouble. And yet, despite Kurt's best efforts, in the end prom does send Blaine and him into a frenzy, and it goes a little beyond the usual what-to-wear or whom-to-ask dilemma.

Way, way beyond, actually.

It starts with Brittany and her crazy dinosaur motto for prom. Two days before the big night, she announces that she changed the theme to something more… prehistoric, and that in the spirit of authenticity, nobody is allowed to use hair gel for prom.

Kurt knows Blaine doesn't go anywhere without plastering his hair flat on his head but he's still surprised when Blaine downright panics at the thought of having to go to prom without his gel.

"I don't get the problem," Kurt says that afternoon when they're both lingering by their cars in the school parking lot and Blaine is so distracted by the whole thing he's getting irrationally upset over not finding his car keys right away. "Your hair is just a little… frizzy."

Of course, Blaine freaked out about the curls before, namely the few times they've spent the night together. Blaine had been very reluctant to let Kurt see his hair when it dried after the shower. It had taken a lot of coaxing, a lot of convincing, and a lot of kissing, too. But Kurt thought that they were past that by now.

Apparently not, tough, and Kurt just doesn't understand. No amount of curls could make Blaine unattractive to him. In fact, he's a bit into it, maybe even a lot into it, seeing Blaine's curls all unruly and out of control, having something to grab onto while kissing Blaine… not that he has tried it. He hasn't even told Blaine what he thinks, fearing the subject might be a little too touchy for him.

And if he's being completely honest, he's still a bit hesitant to lay himself on the line like that and just name the things that turn him on about Blaine. It's… well, it's scary. What if Blaine thinks it's weird?

"Frizzy?" Blaine whines, pressing his back against his car and letting his head fall back. "That's the understatement of the year, Kurt! I'm not joking when I tell you I'll look like Medusa in that stuffy gym. You'll be embarrassed to be seen with me. It's _not_ attractive."

"Blaine," Kurt tries to level with him, squinting his eyes, "I'd never be embarrassed to be seen with you."

Blaine shakes his head sadly. "You can't promise that."

"Yes, I can."

"You're just saying that," Blaine mutters.

"No, I'm not," Kurt says, crossing his arms. He doesn't know what's bringing this on, but he knows he doesn't like it. "Why do you think I'd be embarrassed? I wouldn't-"

"Are you sure?" Blaine retorts pointedly, sounding annoyed. "Wouldn't be the first time, would it?"

Kurt doesn't really know if the aggravation is because of Kurt's tone or if it's based on something deeper. At any rate, it's really pissing him off.

Kurt knows better than to snap, he really does, but somehow the bite behind his words is unstoppable.

"What do you mean, it's not the first time?" he snarls. "What are you saying, Blaine? That I'm shallow? That I wouldn't want to be seen with my boyfriend when his hair is not plastered onto his head perfectly?"

Blaine almost looks torn between backpedaling and agreeing with Kurt's implications, and it hurts Kurt more than he likes to admit that Blaine chooses his option after only five seconds of hesitation.

"It does come to mind, yeah," Blaine huffs out. "Remember how you told me you wouldn't take me to the movies with my green bowtie?"

"Okay, first of all, I was joking," Kurt says, narrowing his eyes. "And second of all – Blaine, you combined it with a _pink_ shirt!"

"See what I mean?!"

"Excuse me for having an eye for fashion," Kurt drawls, completely past the point of trying to stay calm and reassure Blaine that his hair looks fine. Not with him, oh no. Not if Blaine so clearly thinks he is going to be shallow about the whole thing anyway. "Should I ask Isabelle if she'd approve of your color choice so you can have a second opinion?"

"Wow," Blaine says, taking a step away from Kurt. "I'm really insecure about this, how can you just stand there and add fuel to the fire? Why can't you just support me?"

Kurt can't believe him. He just can't believe him.

"I was _trying_ to!" he cries out, frustrated with both of their reactions but not quite knowing how to make either of them stop. "I told you I'd never be embarrassed or ashamed or whatever the hell it is you think I'd have a problem with! You're the one who doesn't believe me, so don't pin this on me!"

"Do you even hear yourself when you talk about other people?" Blaine asks, apparently choosing to ignore Kurt's argument in favor of more nitpicking. _"'Wow, look at that girl, Blaine, how can she wear those boots without vomiting?'_ The other day you complained that Puck didn't dress Beth right for our walk with her. She's a baby, Kurt! And don't even get me started on the way you talk about Jacob Ben Israel's hair!"

Kurt's eyes bug. "Jacob B- what the _fuck_ , Blaine?! I hate that guy, of course I talk about him!"

"And wouldn't you agree that his hair is frizzy?"

"I am not even going to dignify this insanity with an answer," Kurt hisses, feeling his anger in every inch of his body. He's about to just leave, when he changes his mind and turns back around. "Actually, no, you know what? This is not okay, Blaine. Do you honestly think I'm shallow enough to give a fuck about your _frizzy_ hair or what other people think of me if I'm seen with you?"

"Oh, I bet you don't give a fuck," Blaine sneers. "I bet I'll feel really supported when we're dancing at prom and people start laughing at me."

Kurt stares at him and amidst the rage, he feels a flash of hurt at the prospect of his boyfriend moping his way through prom night because he's convinced that people, including _Kurt_ , will have a problem with his hair. And maybe they won't even get to that point because it certainly sounds like Blaine doesn't want to attend prom anymore.

All because of some stupid hair gel ban.

"So what?" Kurt grits out, exasperated, and he can't help the way the hurt laces into his words now. "You want to cancel prom on the off chance that I don't want to be seen with you just because you wear your hair differently? Can't you see how stupid that is? And how _insulting_? When have I ever given you the idea that I don't like the way you look? I mean, come on, we're _moving in_ together, I don't- ugh, you might just as well end our relationship right now before-"

Blaine's jaw drops open. "End our relationship?" he exclaims. "I never said anything-"

"You really should think about doing just that," Kurt says with a deep frown, "if you think I'm going to be a shallow jerk and be ashamed of your hair or something."

"Kurt, that's not-"

"If you don't think I can handle something as simple as a hair crisis, why on earth would you even want to be with me? You could just break up with-"

"Because I love you!" Blaine interrupts instantly, looking panicked. "I love you, Kurt."

"Well, you must clearly think it's one-sided," Kurt shoots back and gets out his car keys. He feels tears spilling out of his eyes, and this really needs to stop _right now_.

"I don't, Kurt, it's not like-"

"Well, believe it or not, Blaine, I love you, too!" he yells. "And your hair gel is not the reason why!"

"Kurt, I-"

Kurt gets in his car before things can get any more complicated. He tries his best not to look at Blaine as the car rolls out of its spot in the parking lot, but he can't help but catch the reflection of Blaine's face in the rearview mirror. Wide, sad eyes and pale skin.

He feels something cold in the base of his spine, like something really horrible just happened.

They didn't just break up, did they? God, maybe they didn't, but he did suggest that they should. What the hell is his problem?!

He keeps on driving, trying to clear his thoughts on the way home. He's not even really mad at _Blaine_ per se. He's mad that Blaine would think so little of him, think that he wouldn't want to be seen with Blaine because of his curls… it's such a stupid thing to get upset over. But thinking back to the fight, Kurt still feels infuriated.

He goes straight from the front door to his room and turns off his mobile phone without looking at the notifications. He's afraid he's going to find missed calls from Blaine. Or worse, text messages in which Blaine makes use of Kurt's suggestion.

He knows deep down that Blaine isn't the kind of guy to break up with someone over a text message and that he was clearly against the idea when Kurt brought it up. Kurt can only write it off as an irrational fear that his brain is trying to convince him he is going to get dumped any second now.

 _Communication, Kurt_ , he tells himself stubbornly, trying to get his mind to listen to him. _You're not necessarily in the wrong here, but you could have done things a little differently._

He doesn't turn on his cell phone just yet but he does make a little list of things he could have said to Blaine instead of getting upset. He's a little embarrassed to find that telling Blaine how sexy he finds his curls is one of the top contenders. Maybe he should stop being so deadly afraid of making himself vulnerable that way. As it is, Blaine is usually the one to initiate… things.

Maybe Blaine just needs to be reassured Kurt finds him just as attractive as he finds Kurt. At the very least, it probably couldn't hurt to remind him every now and then.

After all, Kurt isn't immune to letting insecurities get the best of him, and Blaine has always helped him through them when it happened. His NYADA application comes to mind, and Kurt remembers numerous instances where Blaine sat him down and reasoned with him.

Sighing to himself, berating himself for getting so worked up over the whole issue, Kurt turns his cell phone back on.

 _Kurt – B_

 _Kurt please pick up, don't ignore me – B_

 _Please, you really misunderstood me – B_

 _I don't think you're shallow – B_

 _I was being an idiot but I don't want to break up, ever – B_

 _And tbh I think you kind of overreacted a little? – B_

 _Fine ignore me but really I get the feeling we have more than just one issue here – B_

 _Can you just come off your high horse and talk to me at least? – B_

Gulping around a very large lump in his throat, Kurt checks the time of Blaine's messages and calls and notices he's been silent for at least two hours.

He really hopes Blaine hasn't used those two hours to get really mad and rethink that whole not breaking up deal. Those last few text messages do not exactly sound friendly. Probably deservedly so.

With shaky fingers, Kurt types out his response.

 _Can you come over? – K_

 _Yes… see you in 10, okay? – B_

Kurt bites his lip and starts circling stuff on his list so he won't get tongue-tied again.

He's almost hyperventilating by the time five minutes have passed and he's a little scared he won't make it through the next five with his sanity intact. But, luckily for him, Blaine is a little early and rings him up.

"You could have rung the bell," Kurt tells him when he opens the door. "Nobody's home."

"I wasn't sure if maybe you wanted to talk outside." Blaine cringes as he says it.

"Do…" Kurt swallows around nothing. "Do _you_ want to talk outside?"

Blaine sighs. "No, I really don't."

"I'm not breaking up with you," Kurt says softly. "And I hope you aren't breaking up with me, either."

"God, no," Blaine breathes out. "That's the last thing I want."

Kurt's shoulders drop in relief. "Good. Come in, please."

The short walk up to Kurt's room is awkward and tense. Kurt wants that to be gone, and for certain things to be off the table right away, so when they're both standing in Kurt's room, awkwardly lingering next to the bed, he blurts out, "Your hair is really sexy."

Blaine touches the top of his head with a frantic hand, spluttering, "Wh- what?"

Kurt stares at the floor, wondering if it really would open up to swallow him whole if he just believed in it enough.

"Um," he says, blushing to the roots of his hair, "I did not mean to lead with that. Can I start over?"

Blaine opens his mouth, obviously trying to look for the right words, before he shakes his head quickly, then nods, and says, "Yes, sure."

Kurt takes a deep breath.

"I'm sorry for overreacting," he says. "That was uncalled for. You were feeling bad about yourself, and I made it all about me."

Blaine nods. "Okay," he says, and sighing a little, he continues, "You know what else was uncalled for? Ignoring my calls."

Kurt drops his gaze.

"I was afraid you might take my advice and break up with me," he mumbles. "So I turned my phone off until I calmed down. Yeah… that was stupid."

"Please don't shut me out like that," Blaine pleads. "I don't like fighting with you but I hate not talking even more than that."

"I'm sorry. I was trying to protect myself from getting hurt… but I'll try not to do it again, I promise."

Blaine stays silent for a while but then he swears under his breath. "Fuck," he says, "all because of my stupid hair. I didn't mean to get so… intense about it. I just- I get insecure." He bites his lip. "I didn't think you'd get so upset about it, either… it's really nobody's problem but mine."

"You made it mine the moment you told me I was just pretending to like your hair to make you feel better," Kurt points out. "That's what got me mad, you know? I didn't know you thought I was so shallow. And I'm not, I'm really not."

"I'm so sorry I made you feel that way," Blaine says immediately. "I don't think you're shallow, I really don't. I got worked up and frustrated and… there's really no good excuse but please believe me, I didn't mean to insult you."

"But you really thought I'd care, didn't you?" Kurt asks sadly. "I was the one to make _you_ feel that way."

"I just… I know how much you care about- well, about people's looks," Blaine says timidly.

"Only the people I don't know or don't like," Kurt says, still incredibly hurt by the fact Blaine would think that his rules for others applied to him, too, when in reality, Kurt would bend any rule in his book for Blaine. "I would never talk that way about my friends, least of all you."

"Oh." Blaine ducks his head. "And the bowtie thing…?"

"God, I wasn't _that_ serious about the bowtie," Kurt says, putting a hand up to cup Blaine's cheek. "You probably would have looked adorable regardless of the color crime. And if you had insisted on wearing it, I would have taken you out to the movies anyway. I couldn't care less what other people think about you when they see you with me because all I see when you're out with me is _you_."

"Kurt," Blaine says, puffing his name out on a breath and looking completely dumbstruck.

"Please trust me on this," Kurt pleads.

"I do, I do," Blaine rasps. "I just- god, I'm sorry I said all that, I didn't mean- I am just _really_ insecure about my hair, and it must have gotten to me, I don't even know- I just wanted to look nice at prom and not worry about my hair and-"

"Hey, hey, you're rambling," Kurt says when Blaine starts getting faster. He sits down on the bed, motioning for Blaine to join him, which he does. "Maybe we should get that hair issue out of the way first?"

Blaine looks at him like he's gone crazy. "You can try, I guess."

"I really like it."

"Like what?"

"Your hair. Your curls, I mean."

Blaine sniffs indignantly. "Don't be ridiculous."

"There, you're doing it again," Kurt says, keeping his voice soft this time. _Communication is key._ "Belittling yourself. Thinking I'm lying to you."

"Kurt, my hair is-"

"I know, I know." Kurt sighs. There probably isn't a way around this, and it _is_ on his list after all. Technically, he even already said it... it was blurted out at the wrong time, but at least it is out there already. "Blaine, I love your hair. I know you don't and hey, that's fine, you like things about my body that I don't necessarily like. But… I don't want you to be embarrassed of your hair, ever, because I really, really like it. I like seeing the real you under all that gel. The man without the product. And… I may have a thing for your curls. They're- yeah, like I said, they're sexy."

Blaine's eyes have widened significantly during Kurt's little speech and he looks a little flabbergasted.

"You think my curls are sexy?" Blaine squeaks. "Kurt, they-"

"–are wild, unruly, and make you look like you just got out of bed." Kurt shrugs and can't help the shy smile that spreads across his features. "I associate all of those things with sex."

Well, he got that part over with. He manages to resist the urge to press a hand to his burning cheeks but he does chance a quick look at Blaine to gauge his reaction.

Which is basically a mixture of astonishment, resistance and hope altogether.

"I…" Blaine starts. "I was _not_ aware of that."

"That's because I haven't told you before now," Kurt says sheepishly.

"Why haven't you?" Blaine asks, and Kurt's happy to see he looks more curious than weirded out.

Kurt shrugs. "It's a little hard to work that into a conversation," he says. "I mean, you see what happened earlier."

Blaine grins a little, and Kurt finds himself grinning back.

But he's not done yet. It's another bullet point on his list, and it's probably pretty essential to the way Blaine perceives Kurt's affection, so it absolutely cannot be skipped.

"And maybe I'm a little… reserved about telling you what I like about you. Well, mostly your body." Kurt shrugs, feigns nonchalance, but he knows it's easy to see through his act. "I don't like putting myself out there, it makes me feel like I'm less in control… of- ah, I don't know, of… things."

He cringes because he's not getting to the point and he remembers faintly that there was a point to saying all of this. But Blaine doesn't interrupt, just observes him silently and waits for him to finish, so Kurt pushes through it.

"I just think I could have been more… vocal? About your hair. I didn't mean it was bad when I said it was just a little frizzy. I was kind of protecting myself by not saying more, you know? But maybe…" He pauses, licks his lips. "Maybe you needed that compliment more than I needed my protection. Because… I shouldn't feel scared to tell you this stuff."

Blaine's voice is a little hoarse, a little choked up, when he replies, "I- I don't want you to do anything for me you don't want to. If you're uncomfortable-"

"I'm not," Kurt says. "I know that- well, that I'm safe with you. I just haven't gotten fully used to it, I guess. I… I've never had anyone to say these things to, and before you, I actually _couldn't_ say them. That was never an option, and I guess I'm still kinda scared that people will make fun of me…"

Blaine opens his mouth, an apology probably already on his tongue, but Kurt doesn't let him speak. This is not about apologies, or about his past with bullies. It's about what he wants to change to make Blaine feel loved and safe, too.

"It _is_ an option now, though," Kurt continues, "and you clearly need more from me than I've been giving you. I mean, you make me feel good about my body all the time, you say all these things, Blaine, and… I'm sorry I haven't exactly done the same for you. But I want to try… I promise I'll work on it."

"I'd still like for you to only say things when you're ready to say them," Blaine counters, to which Kurt gives a quick nod.

"Yes," he agrees. "I think so, too."

"So we're both agreeing to just talk to each other more?" Blaine asks.

Kurt sighs, both in relief and frustration. "Yes," he says. "We really should have figured this out by now, shouldn't we?"

Blaine shrugs. "Relationships are a work in progress. _We're_ a work in progress."

"Yeah, I like that," Kurt says with a smile. "And we're definitely still in a relationship, right?"

"Of course we are," Blaine says with conviction.

They're both at a loss for words after that, and there's a lot of blushing until one of them dares to speak again.

"Do you think you'll feel a little better about your hair now?" Kurt asks tentatively. He knows it doesn't solve much… but maybe knowing how much Kurt likes it will make it easier for Blaine to get over it.

"I'm not sure," Blaine admits. "I guess I'm still not in love with the idea of showing up at prom with my natural hair."

Kurt nods, and takes a deep breath.

"I wasn't expecting you to be," he says. "Which is why I looked up alternative events."

"What?"

Technically, it was Kurt's best solution on the list – simply telling Blaine they wouldn't have to go to prom and do something else instead. Of course, his brain-to-mouth filter, or lack thereof, decided to go with the other option, the sexy-hair one, but Blaine still has some color left in his cheeks, and it's rather attractive, so Kurt won't regret saying it.

"We could go to that revival movie theatre in Columbus and watch an old musical instead, or stay home with your mom and Beth, or… I mean, there's a party at Scandals, which I'm afraid won't be as classy as prom, but there'd be dancing, and-"

"Kurt." Blaine takes one of Kurt's wildly gesticulating hands in his own, which shuts Kurt up effectively. "You don't really want to skip prom, do you?"

"I don't care about prom," Kurt protests. "Not if you won't enjoy it. Or worse, if you won't be there at all. We'll just forget about prom and go to the movies instead."

Blaine looks like he can't resist any longer, and leans in to kiss Kurt softly. Kurt responds at once, snaking his arms around Blaine's waist and pulling himself closer.

Blaine's lips ghost across his cheek and press a kiss to the skin there. "I want you to go to prom." He kisses the side of Kurt's nose. "With me." Back to Kurt's lips, Blaine accentuates every word with a kiss. "I – want – you – to – take – me – to – prom." Pulling back to look him in the eye, he adds, "I wouldn't miss it for the world, even if I have to go looking like broccoli."

Kurt giggles. "Your hair does _not_ look like broccoli."

"You're right, less green-ish in color."

"Shush," Kurt says and pulls Blaine close again to kiss along his hairline. "If anything, maybe… Borat?"

Blaine makes a face and a noise to accompany the sentiment.

"I'm kidding, of course," Kurt adds, to which Blaine just rolls his eyes.

"Do you think if I pretend to be an ice sculpture whenever Brittany's around, she won't make me wash the gel out?"

Kurt laughs. "Doubt it. She's not _that_ obtuse." He pauses. "However…"

"What?"

"She doesn't know what your hair looks like without the product, does she?"

Blaine narrows his eyes. "I'm not gonna wear a wig or shave my head for my senior prom if that's what you're suggesting."

"Oh my god, Blaine, no," Kurt retorts, crinkling his nose in amusement. "I was suggesting using a different kind of product that Brittany won't detect as a violation against her rule."

"Okay," Blaine replies slowly, tilting his head at Kurt with a smirk. "I know we rented _There's Something About Mary_ the other day but I didn't think we'd be reenacting that scene so soon."

Kurt feels like he's blushing for the millionth time today, and Blaine bursts out laughing at his outraged expression.

"Blaine!" Kurt whines. "I'm trying to help you here."

"Did I sound like I was complaining? I'm always down for trying something new," Blaine teases. It's Kurt's turn to eye his boyfriend skeptically, and Blaine hangs his head with another chuckle. "I'm _kidding_ , jeez, Kurt." He pauses. "I mean, unless you actually _do_ like my hair so much you'd want to-"

"La la la," Kurt sing-songs. "We're changing the subject in 3… 2… 1…"

Thankfully, Blaine takes pity on him and his poor, beet-red face. "Okay, what's your idea?"

Kurt gets up and rummages through the slight mess on his vanity table. When he finds the tin he's looking for, he wordlessly presents it to Blaine, who sticks his tongue out between his lips adorably while taking the tin in hand and considering its content.

"Hair wax?" he finally asks. "Huh. I… I don't know what it would look like, I've never really tried it."

"Trust me, it's gonna look amazing," Kurt says, already thinking of different ways to style Blaine's hair. "Do you want me to show you?"

Blaine hesitates for a moment but then he nods.

"Okay," Kurt says, rubbing his hands together excitedly. "Off to the shower with you. I need the gel gone if I'm gonna make you over."

* * *

Two days later, Kurt picks Blaine up at his house, wearing dress pants, a half-unbuttoned dress shirt with a chic vest over it, and a top hat. He'd feel a bit underdressed with his rolled-up sleeves and the loose shirt… but hey, he can get on board with a theme party. He repositions the hat carefully before ringing the doorbell.

He's excited to see Blaine. Well, he's _always_ excited to see Blaine – but prom is sort of a rite of passage, and even though they already passed the whole having sex milestone that is associated with prom (well, okay, they haven't done _everything_ and maybe Kurt is hoping for _something_ but that's so beside the point), he can't wait to finally fulfill his dream of slow-dancing in that gym. At his prom. With his boyfriend. Who loves him and is going to start a life with him.

 _Until you find someone as open and as brave as you, you're just going to have to get used to going at it alone._

With a smile, Kurt realizes that his dad once again proved to be right.

He's going to pick up his open and brave someone.

Kurt's almost surprised when it's not Blaine who opens the door but Quinn in a beautiful lavender dress, Beth perched up on her cocked hip with a matching outfit.

"Aw," she says with a smile. "You look so cute."

"Thanks." He grins. "So do you, that color fits you perfectly." He leans down to let Beth take his pointer finger like she always does when she sees him. "Hi, little princess. You look like you're ready to rumble."

Beth makes a bubbly noise that has Quinn and Kurt in stitches.

"She certainly does not eat like a princess," Quinn says with a sigh. "I just cleaned her up."

"But you're still a little princess, aren't you?" Kurt asks Beth in his best baby voice, which she rewards with a little giggle and a gentle shake of his finger.

"Don't let Pam hear you," Quinn says exasperatedly, but she's smiling. "She wants to start a blog about babysitting Beth called 'Fairy Grandmother'." Kurt giggles and Quinn continues, "I told her 'over my dead body' but maybe I shouldn't have said that, that woman stops at _nothing_. Anyway, I bet you're dying to see how Blaine styled his hair."

Kurt chuckles. "I am, actually. Did you help him?"

"Nuh-uh." Quinn shakes her head. "He was convinced that he needed to do it himself. I'm not sure how well it worked, though, he's been in the bathroom for hours."

Kurt smile fades a little bit. He's hoping Blaine isn't having another moment of panic. They talked some more about it during their make-over, Kurt adamant that they would just stay home if Blaine wasn't comfortable enough to go to prom without his usual, neatly-gelled hair, and Blaine had assured him he was going to be fine, and continued to sing along to _Popular_ blasting through Kurt's speakers.

"I'll show you what shoes to wear, how to fix your hair," Blaine had sung, laughing at the literality of the lyrics.

"You know, technically I should be singing those lines," Kurt had quipped while mussing Blaine's hair gently with his waxy fingers, and had pointedly ignored the way something in his belly tightened when Blaine let out a satisfied hum at the feeling of fingers carding through his hair.

"I could get used to this," Blaine had told him with a small smile. "I really overreacted, didn't I?"

"Hey, I get it," Kurt had mumbled. "It's hard to change things up, especially if you're self-conscious about them."

And maybe that's what's happening right now, Kurt thinks, maybe his plan didn't work as well as he'd hoped, and-

Blaine comes down the stairs in that exact moment, and Kurt's jaw just kind of drops.

So what if he's feeling like a movie cliché? His boyfriend looks amazing.

He's wearing a simple tux and a bowtie but that is not what Kurt's eyes are drawn to. It's the hair, of course, and maybe he should have mentally prepared himself for this.

Blaine hasn't exactly styled his curls like Kurt did the other day, not as high and certainly not as curly. It's more similar to his usual gelled look but with a few curls escaping here and there, making it look neat and a little improvised at the same time.

Blaine shoots him a nervous, quizzical look when he stops in front of him, rocking back and forth on his feet a little while he waits for Kurt to say something.

"Oh my god, Blaine," Kurt whispers. "You look… _so_ _hot_."

It's not exactly what one is supposed to say when their prom date comes walking down the staircase, but Kurt figures it doesn't matter when Blaine's eyes widen ever so slightly and he hangs his head with a pleased smile.

Quinn snorts next to them.

"I'm just… gonna go," she says with a knowing smirk and takes Beth with her to the living room.

"You approve?" Blaine asks, lifting a hand to twirl one of his curls between his fingers. "I wasn't sure if it's too much like my old do."

"No, I love it," Kurt replies, still half convinced that his brain hasn't stopped short-circuiting yet, and leans in to press a kiss to the corner of Blaine's smile. "I can't wait to show you off to everyone."

Blaine's smile stretches into an even wider grin.

"The feeling is mutual," he rasps before kissing Kurt back fiercely.

* * *

After Puck has arrived as well to pick Quinn up and Pam has taken enough pictures of all of them to plaster the whole hallway with, they finally get on their way to the school.

Most of their friends are already there but Kurt figures it's not only the fact that they're fashionably late when everyone does a double take as he enters the gym with Blaine. He smirks at Tina's poleaxed, almost lusty face, and hopes that Mike won't leave her side all night because otherwise he might have to hide Blaine somewhere out of sight.

Even though they're late, the night is still at the awkward nobody-is-dancing-yet stage. Kurt is glad he is surrounded by friends because he can't imagine doing this by himself, sipping his drink awkwardly and waiting for someone to talk to him. As it is, he jokes around with Blaine and Sam, compliments the girls on their beautiful dresses and watches amusedly as Puck makes good work of the punch bowl. Half an hour later, Santana and Brittany finally take the floor and start dancing to a fast-paced song that really shows off both of their dancing skills, and it doesn't take long until Mike and Tina join them.

Senior prom, Kurt thinks another hour later, is truly amazing, and it's not only the slow dancing that has his heart beating faster. It's the way Blaine and he alternate between enjoying the gentle sway of their bodies on the dance floor, joining their friends for some silly dance challenges or a few glasses of spiked punch, making out in a far off corner occasionally, and just exchanging meaningful looks with each other when they're standing a little farther apart.

He just can't believe his senior year is almost over, Kurt thinks when he does a little synchronized dance with Mercedes and Brittany, shooting a smile into the general direction of where Sam and Blaine are engaged in a passionate discussion of – probably something really dorky. But it _is_ almost over, and somehow it makes spending time with their friends a little bittersweet.

Things seem to be especially bitter for Rachel, though. Finn and she have decided to arrive at prom separately, even though Kurt has told both of them a million times that he doubts anyone would really drive a wedge between them. But ever since her NYADA fail, and her loss of the valedictorian title, Rachel has harbored a deep conviction that she needs to be more careful with what she wants out of life.

Finn is being his usual dopey self as he dances around with Rory and Artie, even though he does shoot Rachel some lingering looks more often than not. Rachel, however, is standing at a table and twirling the straw of her drink endlessly with a pouty face. Kurt heads over to talk to her and every now and then but every time he does, Rachel insists that he go back to Blaine and dance so he won't miss his amazing prom experience.

"I want you to have an amazing prom, too," he says and mirrors her pout, but Rachel isn't having any of it, and shoos him away so he can at least go vote for prom king and queen.

Before he can do just that, though, already knowing that he is going to vote for Quinn like he always does, even though this time will mark the first year he actually cares about it, Santana and Quinn pull him aside to include him in a change of plans and ask him if he can spread the word to the others as well.

* * *

Rachel's face when Figgins announces that Finn and she have been made prom king and queen on a series of write-in votes is priceless. Kurt can detect apprehension in her eyes, and he knows she is thinking back to last year's junior prom when he was crowned prom queen as a joke.

But it isn't a joke, and everyone is clapping and cheering, so Rachel and Finn make their way to the stage from opposite sides of the gym and accept their respective titles.

Kurt gives Santana and Quinn a thumbs up and a wide smile as they start singing _Take My Breath Away_ to instigate Finn and Rachel's first dance that night.

Kurt watches them dance and talk in hushed voices, and smiles as Finn finally leans in to kiss Rachel soundly. He hopes it will finally show Rachel that nothing can come between Finn and her if she doesn't let it, and from the way she pulls Finn closer he can tell that she is starting to let go of her irrational fear and just live in the moment.

He winks at Finn when their eyes meet over Rachel's shoulder, and Finn blushes a little. It's really cute, and Kurt giggles into Blaine's ear as their bodies sway to the music.

"That was really nice of Santana and Quinn," he says.

"Actually," Blaine replies, "it was Puck's idea."

"What?"

"Well…" Blaine shrugs. "I guess he still felt guilty about what he did to Finn and he thought he needed a little push towards happiness."

"Huh. This year is just full of surprises."

Blaine smiles at him. "What's your favorite?"

"My favorite surprise?"

Blaine nods.

"Mh." Kurt pretends to think. "Finding out that Mike beat your GPA."

Blaine smacks his arm. "You're a jerk."

"I really liked the part where I got a boyfriend out of a college application competition," Kurt goes on, ignoring Blaine's comment.

He also really likes the part where said boyfriend pulls him close and whispers sweet words into his ear, and he downright shivers at the part where those sweet words turn into something more dangerously adventurous and before he knows it, he's being tugged in the direction of a bathroom on the second floor where they hopefully won't run into anyone because it's highly unlikely anyone would walk that far when there's bathrooms right next to the gym.

Kurt doesn't waste any time to pin Blaine right against the door. He is not going to do this in a dirty bathroom stall, he has _some_ standards.

"Kurt," Blaine pants when Kurt is working his tongue up and down his neck, probably leaving a hickey that everyone will see later, but to hell with it, it's prom night. "Can you…?"

Kurt pulls back to look at Blaine with a quirked eyebrow.

Blaine blushes under the scrutiny.

"Can you tell me again?"

"Tell you wha- _oh_." Kurt grins. "Your hair?"

Blaine nods feebly.

Kurt leans closer, brushing their lips together intently, and whispers. "I love your hair, Blaine. It's so hot."

He could have gone for something more daring, something sexier, something naughtier… but he's only human, and he promised Blaine to go with what he felt ready for, nothing more. Dirty talk has proven to definitely be more Blaine's area of expertise, at least for the time being, and in any case, Blaine's lax jaw and his dilated pupils indicate that Kurt's words still ignited the spark he needed.

They make out for a while, panting into each other's mouths, and Kurt's mind is suddenly occupied with that milestone he's been thinking about for a while. This is an opportunity, right?

He doesn't even notice how distracted he is until he hears Blaine murmur, "Everything okay?"

Kurt gulps. "Yeah, yeah," he says, and oh, wow, his voice is hoarse.

He kisses Blaine again, and how does he even start talking about this? He really should have done some research and how to tell your boyfriend you want to go all the way without-

Ah. Of course.

"Sing for me?" he mumbles against Blaine's lips, and he feels more than he sees Blaine's face scrunch up in confusion.

"What, now?" Blaine asks quietly.

"Yeah," Kurt says, and pulls back slightly. "You know, the song you sang for me over the phone."

"You know you can say Katy Perry's name, right? I won't judge you."

Blaine grins a little, and Kurt almost takes it back, but _no_ , he wants to do this.

"Shut up," he groans, and falls forward to bury his head in Blaine's shoulder, before he pulls back again. "No, don't shut up. Sing. _Please_."

Blaine stills looks a little confused, but he starts singing, softly, and he lets out a pleased hum in between words when Kurt starts peppering kisses up and down his jaw line, letting his lips trail up all the way to his ear and back down until they find Blaine's neck again and make quick work of the pulse point there, making Blaine's breath hitch right before he starts on the chorus.

" _Let's go all the way tonight, no regrets, just love."_

And Kurt knows this is his chance.

He can't quite make himself say it, and he misses it, and if he doesn't gather his courage now, he'll have to wait for the next chorus and who knows if Blaine doesn't stop by then…

" _We can dance all through the night, you and I-"_

"I want to do that," Kurt says, cheeks pink, as he leans back a little and glances up at Blaine.

His Blaine, who looks absolutely delectable with his flushed skin, and the hot-as-hell hair and the soft look in his eyes that he gets when sings for Kurt.

His Blaine, who looks even more confused than when Kurt asked for a serenade.

"You want to dance?" Blaine asks. "Do you… want to go back to the gym?"

 _Oh, god. That's what happens when you miss a beat, Kurt. You're a singer, you should know this._

"No, I- that's not… I'm not- Jesus, this isn't easy," Kurt stammers.

"I don't understand…?" Blaine asks, getting more and more confused and why the fuck is this so hard for Kurt to do? Why can't he just do this the normal way, like other people do?

Someone clears his throat in one of the nearby bathroom stalls, and they both jump at the noise, yelping in shock and twisting their bodies to stare in the direction of the source of the noise.

The stall door opens, and Puck sticks his head out.

"Dude, he wants to do the deed," he says casually. "You know, bump uglies? Play hide the sausage?"

Well, this is worse than missing a beat on a song and the right opportunity to tell your boyfriend, _romantically_ , that you want to have sex.

This is a lot worse.

Kurt doesn't need to look in the mirror across from the stalls to know that his face is as red as it's ever been, but he checks it anyway because he needs to see Blaine's reaction.

Mouth agape, flushed face, body frozen in place… yup. Similar to Kurt's. Oh lordy.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kurt asks prickly when he finally finds his voice again.

Puck raises his hands in defense. "I'm trying to help you, man," he replies. "I wasn't gonna say anything but… that was a lot of word vomit."

He's aware, and he does not need a reminder of that, thank you very much.

"I mean," Kurt gets out through gritted teeth, "why the fuck didn't you say anything when you heard us come in?"

Puck merely shrugs. "Hey, man, I don't cockblock. Personal policy."

"So you hid in the stall and listened in on us?" Blaine asks, and it comes out a little squeaky. "What are you even doing up here?"

"Where do you think I hide the alcohol to spike the punch with?" Puck asks matter-of-factly. "Nobody thinks to check this bathroom. Well, except you two, but you're clearly not here to rat me out."

"Get out before I change my mind about that," Kurt says at once, and fixed Puck with the most murderous glare he can muster up with the humiliation of what just happened still so very present.

"Dude," Puck says and steps out of the stall. "I'll go, but really, you need to check the stalls before making out in a public bathroom. That's, like, Nooner 101. I mean, this isn't a nooner, obviously, but-"

"Just get out," Kurt pleads.

Puck walks past them, but not without trying to fist bump each of them. They both refuse, making Puck pout, but he does open the door and leave. Kurt's body slumps in relief when the door closes behind Puck.

"So-" Kurt starts, convinced that he'll somehow manage to change the subject and never speak of this again, but Blaine stops him, and it's just as well because Kurt can't up with a good deflection anyway.

"Wait," Blaine says, and moves all the way to the back of the bathroom, before walking back slowly and ducking down every other step or so to check the remaining stalls for more unwanted visitors. "Don't want anyone else to interrupt, right?"

Ugh, Kurt's cheeks are so pink. He wants to say something nonchalant like _Interrupt what, we weren't doing anything, right?_ and play it off like he wasn't just asking Blaine to go all the way, but the cat's out of the bag, or more, like, out of the building, so what's the point in denying it?

He just wishes it could have been a little bit more… coherent. Romantic. Sexy, even. Well, as romantic and sexy as it can get in a public bathroom _at school_.

He really should have thought that through, shouldn't he? He wonders if he can get Nooner 101 as a pamphlet in Miss Pillsbury's office.

"Kurt?" Blaine asks, and wow, he's suddenly standing right in front of Kurt, when did that happen?

"… yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

Is he?

"I don't know," Kurt mumbles. "I mean… I'm embarrassed."

"Don't be," Blaine whispers, and strokes his arm lightly before taking his hand and playing with his fingers. One by one, carefully, lovingly. "Please."

"It's just… that was really pathetic, wasn't it?"

"None of that was pathetic," Blaine responds, keeping his wide, earnest eyes on Kurt, and Kurt is probably hallucinating but if he's not, Blaine's pupils are still dilated. "Just forget about Puck, okay? He's not gonna say anything, he doesn't want us to spill the beans on the punch thing."

"It's not about that," Kurt admits. "I don't care about Puck, I just… wanted to tell you this in private, and I chose a less-than-ideal place to do that, and now it's ruined."

Blaine swallows, and his adam's apple bops with the movement. There's a hickey right next to it, and if Kurt could blush any further, he probably would.

"Nothing's ruined," Blaine says, keeping his voice hushed even though nobody's there to listen in on them anymore. "I… I want it, too."

Kurt yanks his eyes away from the – admittedly distracting – hickey and zooms in on Blaine's pupils instead. Yes, definitely still dilated.

"Oh," he says inanely. "Uh… okay. Um-"

He's at a loss of words, but it doesn't matter because his mouth is suddenly occupied otherwise.

* * *

They don't have sex that night. Even if Puck hadn't walked in on them, the bathroom would have been the last place where either of them would have wanted it to take place, and the back of Kurt's car is out of the question, too. Kurt isn't all that proud to admit that the main reason for that is that they don't have any… supplies with them, but it's also a little bit because the backseat of Kurt's Navigator doesn't seem particularly appealing when one could have a bed instead.

Emphasis on _could_ , though.

When they get back downstairs to the gym, pointedly ignoring Puck's barely subtle thumbs up, Kurt notices he has a few texts from Rachel, excitedly telling him that she's going home with Finn and asking if he can stay over at Blaine's because, with Burt and Carole gone on a romantic weekend trip, they'll finally have an empty house to themselves.

Kurt huffs out an annoyed breath but confirms that he'll stay over at Blaine's. He doesn't really want to have sex with Blaine at the same time as Rachel and Finn, in the same night and _in the same house_ , anyway.

Staying over at Blaine's, however, means that Puck will be in the same house for the night and _that_ thought is even more unsettling. And, as Blaine points out a little sheepishly, he only has lube at home, no condoms.

"Why do you only have-" Kurt starts, and then stops completely when he figures out the reason all by himself. "Never mind. Just… god, never mind."

Blaine takes him by the hand swiftly and steers him back to the dance floor, twirling him expertly and smiling at him as if Kurt's hung the moon, because, as he tells Kurt later when they're only swaying lazily to the rhythm of a particularly slow song, he doesn't really need anything else to make his prom night more perfect.

"I'll remember this forever," he murmurs close to Kurt's ear. "I never even thought I'd have anyone to date by the time my senior prom came around… this is a huge deal for me, whether we make love tonight or not."

Kurt tightens his grip on Blaine's shoulders and pulls him flush so that they're foreheads are pressed together.

"I love you," he tells Blaine. "And I never thought I'd have someone to love by the time prom came around, either."

Blaine's whole face lights up, and Kurt decides that he really doesn't need anything else that night, either.

Though he certainly does not complain when Blaine shows up at his doorstep two nights later with gift-wrapped condoms, a half-used bottle of lube, and a key to a hotel room – an actual honest-to-god hotel room, this just screams _Blaine_ – attached to a small bouquet of flowers.

Of course, Blaine thinks he's overdone it and panics when Kurt doesn't say anything at first, but Kurt makes sure to shut him up with kisses and barely manages to close the front door before they head out to Blaine's car and drive to the hotel.

And Kurt makes sure to keep kissing Blaine not only all the way through it but afterwards as well because he just doesn't want to break the almost electric connection between them and only stops after round two when they're in desperate need of a shower, though they can barely be bothered to break apart for that, either.

Later, when they're both lying on the bed next to each other, towels flung over the headboard carelessly, and just running their fingers over each other's skin, committing every little detail to memory, Blaine starts humming Teenage Dream again, and Kurt sings the words to Blaine this time, pouring all of his soul into those lines that really count, _no regrets, just love_.

* * *

As the school year winds down, everybody gets ready for their exams and final club competitions. The Glee clubbers are busy practicing for Nationals in Chicago, and spending their free time together for the sake of remembering the fun they had, sometimes just hanging out and watching movies or helping Puck study for finals so he won't flunk anything and fail to graduate.

Quinn is worried at first that she might have to miss Nationals because of Beth but Pam volunteers to be a chaperone for the trip and promises to take care of Beth whenever Quinn can't. As thankful as Quinn is for that, it also means that Pam embarrasses her and Blaine on more than just one occasion, and to Kurt's amusement, Blaine is horrified to find Pam huddled together with Santana at a McDonald's in Gary, Indiana, where they have stopped at for a quick snack, recounting numerous hilarious childhood moments that make Santana smirk from ear to ear.

"If Santana makes a crude comment about my very… uh, enthusiastic performance of Lady Marmalade for Cooper's nineteenth birthday, just ignore it," Blaine tells Kurt as he slumps back into his seat on the bus.

Kurt raises both eyebrows, barely concealing his smirk. "Weren't you like… ten?"

"I really liked Moulin Rouge, okay?" Blaine whines. "And I didn't know any French."

Santana cackles from somewhere behind them and doesn't stop teasing Blaine until they arrive at the venue in Chicago.

* * *

Everything is well when they practice their set.

Everything is well, even though Rachel and Finn have an awkward run-in with Rachel's ex-boyfriend Jesse.

Everything is still well when the girls start off with their rendition of Lady Gaga's _Edge of Glory_ , even though Kurt certainly wishes he'd get the chance to perform Gaga on stage as well.

Everything is starting to look less well when Rachel notices that Carmen Tibideaux is not sitting in the seat reserved for her.

Everything is decidedly not well by the time Rachel is not made an MVP and loses to Vocal Adrenaline's star, Unique Adams.

Even though they win Nationals, things aren't well for Rachel – she's falling apart.

For two hours after their competition, when everyone else has already long headed out for a celebratory Chicago deep-dish pizza party, Finn and Kurt are still trying to calm a very not-well Rachel down back at the hotel. They told everyone else to go ahead and have a good time but Kurt can tell from the way his phone is buzzing with a text every five minutes that they're all concerned.

"S-she d-didn't come," Rachel sobs into her pillow brokenly. "She didn't come and n-now I'm n-never going to m-make it to NYADA."

"Rachel," Kurt whispers softly, "you know that's not true, you can always audition for next semester, that's what your letter said."

"I'm sure Miss Tibideaux hates me," Rachel mumbles, lifting her head from the pillow and leaning into Finn a little, who's crouching down next to the bed and stroking her hair.

"She doesn't," Finn says. "She just didn't find the time to fly out to Chicago for this. I'm sure she would've been as impressed as everyone else if she had seen you. You were phenomenal today."

"That doesn't give me any advantage for my NYADA plan, though," Rachel protests weakly, though she seems to perk up a bit at the compliment.

"I'm sure being part of the team that just won a national show choir competition is something that'll do well on your second application," Kurt tells her with a small smile. "And your Broadway internship won't hurt, either."

Rachel nods and almost seems to calm down for a while but then she remembers that she didn't even win MVP and starts crying again.

* * *

"How is she?" Blaine asks worriedly when Kurt and Finn go back to the boys' room.

Finn shrugs. "It's pretty bad," he says. "I haven't seen her this upset in a while. She really had her sights set on that second chance thing…"

"I told her she shouldn't expect too much," Kurt says sadly. "But I knew she would."

"She's going to be fine, though, right?" Finn asks. "She's going to move in with you two and you'll make sure she gets into that school?"

"Don't worry, she'll fall in love with New York and she'll find her way into NYADA and onto Broadway in no time," Blaine says. "And maybe then you can join us someday?"

"In New York?" Finn asks. "I don't know, man, I still don't think I'm cut out for the big city."

"And he won't let people tell him otherwise," Kurt says with a bit of an eye roll.

Blaine ignores his comment and focuses on Finn instead. "You know there's all kinds of things to do in New York, though, right? People don't really focus on the little things happening in the city but not everyone out there is trying to make it as an artist, you know?

"Yeah, I know," Finn says. "I just really think I want to enlist in the army first. Maybe it's not my thing but at least I'll have tried, right?"

"Sure." Blaine shrugs easily. "I'm just saying, if you ever do come to New York – we'll be there."

"Thanks, Blaine," Finn says with a smile.

They celebrate a little more with the other boys in their room but Kurt calls an end to their little party around 2 am, which earns him a few boos from the others. Kurt just gives them the finger and reminds them that they're scheduled to leave Chicago at 9 am.

His body seems to be at war with his mind because he takes a pretty long time to fall asleep, his thoughts still with Rachel, but once he does, he goes out fast and sleeps like a log.

* * *

Because they drive back to Lima on a Friday, and to honor their incredible work at Nationals, Mr. Schue and Coach Sylvester surprise them with a spontaneous over-night stay at a barn in Indiana that is apparently rented out to school groups and tourists for an authentic farm experience.

Rachel is the only one who doesn't seem particularly excited to have another full day to hang out with the group, and Santana almost calls her out on it, but Blaine manages to calm her down. The last thing they need is a fight.

They spend their afternoon exploring the barn and its surrounding areas. There's a hay maze and lots of animals to pet – Blaine falls in love with a bunny and Kurt makes him promise he won't steal it, even though it does warm his heart to see Blaine bop his nose against the bunny's tiny one. They also make Pam promise that she won't send Isabelle the pictures she's taking on her phone, just for good measure.

Mr. Schue goes grocery shopping – alone, because Coach Sylvester fakes a fatal illness – and comes back with supplies for a simple dinner and s'mores for dessert. By the time they're all roasting marshmallows over the campfire and meshing them together with chocolate and crackers, the sun has set and everyone is huddling close on the tree trunks they're using as benches.

Kurt is trading favorite McKinley stories with Tina and Mercedes, all the while leaning into Blaine who is discussing New York plans with Artie, who seems to have his sights set on a film school in the city once he graduates.

When Tina and Mercedes go to find some blankets, and Artie starts another conversation with Rory and Joe, Blaine and Kurt move even closer together and take advantage of the fact that nobody's paying attention for a while, stealing kisses every now and then and enjoying the warmth of the fire against the cool air of the night.

"Yo," Puck's voice comes up behind them, and they both turn to him with equally irritated looks on their faces. "I hid some… juice behind a tree over there." He points into the general direction of the woods. "So if you two want to get it on somewhere and not run into me this time, I suggest you-"

"Not a problem," Blaine interrupts quickly. "We weren't looking for-"

"Just making sure," Puck says with a wink and jogs off, probably to find the tree.

Kurt rolls his eyes, and sighs. "He's never going to let us live that one down, huh?"

"Probably not," Blaine says. "But hey, it's gonna make one hell of a story to tell later."

"Like, way later, though," Kurt replies and yawns a little while snuggling closer to Blaine, hoping that Tina will bring him the blanket she promised soon. "Maybe when Beth is old enough to traumatize her with inappropriate stories."

Of course, that is the exact moment when Quinn comes back from the barn where she has just sung Beth to sleep.

"You're gonna tell her the story of-" she starts, clearly scandalized, and Kurt almost trips over the tree trunk when he gets up to slap his hand over her mouth.

"Jesus, Quinn," Blaine mutters. "Santana is sitting right there, don't give her blackmail material to last for a lifetime."

Santana catches her name and looks up at them but that, thankfully, is the exact moment in which Mercedes and Tina return with a huge stack of blankets, and they all decide to lay them out on the ground so they can lie down together and spot shooting stars. Even Rachel can be convinced to join them, and when Finn lies down next to her and puts an arm around her shoulders, she starts smiling again.

Sam and a slightly tipsy Puck pull out their guitars and provide the right background music, making a game out of who can come up with the most songs featuring nighttime themes. They start out with a cute version of _Bella Notte_ and move on to _Night Fever_ , making it sound even more ridiculous than the original. Afterwards, everybody calls for a do-over of West Side Story's _Tonight_ , cheering once Blaine and Rachel agree to it. Artie can't seem to help his comment on how much better they sound on it now that they clearly both have engaged in sexual relations, to which Rachel and Blaine just sputter.

"Ridiculous," Blaine whispers to Kurt when he lies back down next to him, "it's not like I know Tony any better now. The guy still likes boobs, you know?"

Kurt giggles into his neck and stays there for a while, listening to Sam and Mercedes duet to _Summer Nights_ , and providing his best Rizzo impression when the song calls for it.

Mike suggests doing their original song from Nationals last year, _Light Up the World_ , and after they're done debating if it counts because the word "night" is not in the title, only in the lyrics, they do sing it and everybody gets really into it. Kurt sings along enthusiastically, though he gets a little distracted towards the end of the song because he does spot a shooting star and makes a quick wish.

 _Let me never forget these days._

After a few more songs, they come up with fewer and fewer options to sing for the nighttime theme, until Rachel gasps, " _We Are Young_ by Fun!"

Everybody agrees quickly, and Rachel and Finn start them out on the first verse, with others joining on the chorus.

 _Tonight, we are young,_

 _So let's set the world on fire,_

 _We can burn brighter than the sun._

Kurt shares a smile with Quinn who's come to lie down next to him, and he feels so content in his spot between her and Blaine, Rachel's clear voice in his ear, watching Finn do awkward dance moves, hearing Mercedes belt out a high note over everyone else's harmonies, and just enjoying the company of his friends, that he can't help but think that this is the perfect song to end his time in Glee club with.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Stay tuned for the epilogue aka graduation! :) And thank you all so much for the continuous support, it means the world to me. 3**_


	10. Nothing Ever Lasts Forever

_**A/N: Epilogue, people. Epilogue. This feels a little epic; it's my first proper story with an epilogue and a beta reader and everything.**_

 _ **Speaking of beta'ing, I owe a-simple-rainbow a huge, huge, huge THANK YOU for all her help and the support and the advice and gaaah, for everything. :)**_

 _ **And thank you, my dear readers, for all the love and reviews and following... y'all are awesome. :)**_

* * *

 **\- Nothing Ever Lasts Forever -**

Back at McKinley, the New Directions get welcomed back with cheers and celebration instead of their usual slushy treatment. At first, Kurt thinks he's dreaming but apparently the hierarchy changes when one wins a national championship title for the school.

Not that he's complaining. He'll take confetti over an iced beverage in his face anytime.

Of course, it doesn't stay like that for the rest of the school year. Things go back to normal the next day, actually, and Kurt witnesses Rory take a slushy facial with a sympathetic wince before taking him to the bathroom to clean up and give him a change of clothes.

His final exams are nothing compared to the nightmare that is planning what to pack for New York and what to leave behind for the time being, and Kurt ends up staying up late most nights racking his brain over how to organize his suitcase instead of how to conjugate irregular French verbs.

He still does well on his exams, though. Blaine, of course, does too. Quinn's grades slip a little bit, considering she hasn't been in school for almost two months, but overall, she manages to almost maintain her GPA. Even Puck does well enough on his exams to at least get a good enough grade to graduate with, and as soon as he receives the news, he finalizes his plans to enlist in the army with Finn. However, Brittany fails most of the exams and doesn't graduate, and for a week or so, it makes Santana glare at anyone who even mentions the word "graduation".

But even Santana can't stop or turn back time, so sooner or later, all of them find themselves facing the fact that graduation is only a week away.

Which means that Kurt's only two weeks away of starting a new life in a different city, hell, a different state.

He sometimes thinks back to when he was a shy, lonely freshman at McKinley High, and he never in a million years would have thought that he would leave the school with a best friend _and_ a boyfriend, heading to New York City, of all places, to start school at one of the most prestigious dramaticarts academies.

Rachel, of course, hasn't been as euphoric about the whole thing as he has, and has thus stopped mentioning New York altogether. Kurt knows she talked to Carmen Tibideaux on the phone, asking for a reason why she hadn't come, and that Miss Tibideaux flat-out told her that she wouldn't fly out to a city as far away as Chicago for someone who she'd already seen audition.

"You'll audition again for the spring term," Kurt tells her again, and Rachel nods.

"I know," she sighs. "It's just really hard to accept the fact that I let it slip through my fingers like that."

"Nonsense," Kurt tells her. "You have an internship on Broadway waiting for you and if you show them what Rachel Berry is all about, I'm pretty sure you'll be the first NYADA student ever who got a role on Broadway before enrolling in the school."

Rachel flings her arms around his neck when he says it.

"Thank you for believing in me," she mutters in his ear, and he just hugs her a little tighter. "I'm writing a killer text for your yearbook, by the way, and you will cry like a baby."

Kurt laughs. "You're on, Rachel Berry. If you win, I'll do your chores for the first week in our new place."

"Deal," she says and leans back to offer her hand for him to shake it.

* * *

Rachel's lovely words in Kurt's yearbook do make him cry in the end but Kurt takes his defeat in stride. Her words were nothing short of moving and totally worth having to do the dishes and clean the apartment for a week.

And he has an awesome response for Rachel as well that she starts crying over as soon as she even reads the first word – though they didn't have a bet going for that side of things because Rachel cries whenever the opportunity presents itself, anyway, which she claims as practice for her future acting career.

It's much harder to come up with something to write for Blaine's yearbook, though. Kurt has been getting quite good with friendship speeches – and that in itself is definitely an improvement from lonely, friendless freshman year – but he has never had to publicly talk or write about his boyfriend before. And it's proving to be difficult. Are there any limits? What is too cheesy, what will get Blaine to treasure the text forever, what will make him smile or cry, what will make Santana snap a picture of it and post it on Facebook because she finds something that can be misinterpreted?

It's no wonder he kind of panics when they exchange their yearbooks to sign, right?

But, as he's learned several times with Blaine, communication is key. So he takes the book, a deep breath, too, and bites his lip shyly when he admits, "I'm afraid this might not turn out perfect."

Blaine cocks his head to the side and considers him for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know what to write," Kurt says with a self-conscious chuckle.

"Hey, that's okay," Blaine replies softly, and strokes Kurt's hand lightly. "A guy like you? I'd be happy if he signed, 'Hey Blaine, have a good summer, see you in the fall.'"

Kurt giggles. "I can do better than _that_."

"See? Already dodged the worst yearbook cliché known to mankind," Blaine says cheekily. "Seriously, though, just write what comes to mind and I'm sure I'll love it."

Kurt sighs. "Are you not freaking out at all? What if we look back at our yearbook messages in a few years and decide that they were super tacky?"

"Kurt, come on!" Blaine smiles brightly at him. "A few years down the road, I'm pretty sure our yearbook messages won't be the most important thing in our lives. And if we do look back, I'm sure it will be cute in all its tackiness."

"Tacky isn't cute," Kurt says, wrinkling his nose, a warm feeling spread inside him when Blaine leans in to kiss the tip of it.

"But _you're_ cute," he tells Kurt. "I'll love it, I promise."

It doesn't bring Kurt any closer to knowing what to write but his panic does dissolves into a more content, almost excited tingle, and Kurt takes the book home with a smile on his face.

And once he gets started, instead of not coming up with anything, all of a sudden he doesn't know what to leave out.

* * *

 _Hey Blaine,_

 _have a good summer!_

 _I'd say I'm kidding but I'm not. You're going to have a_ _great_ _summer because a) you are going to New York City, b) you are going there with Rachel and me, c) you're one of those crazy people who love the warmth more than the cold and d) because it's going to be our first summer together, in New York City no less._

 _I love you. I think that goes without saying but it still should be written down a million times (I don't have the space for that so that one time is a stand-in for all the others). I am really glad neither of us got caught up in all those stupid competitions because I honestly don't think I could have hated you even if I tried. Have I ever told you I wanted to get to know you better ever since we got paired up in Cheerios practice? What can I say – you're way too charming for your own good._

 _I've always wanted my senior year to be magic – and you made it so. Thank you for that._

 _See you in the fall, Katy Perry boy. (Okay, now I'm kidding. About the fall part.)_

 _Okay, space for one more: I love you,_

 _Kurt_

* * *

 _Dear Kurt,_

 _thank you for making my senior year so special. Being with you is the best thing that ever happened to me and here's to hoping (well, knowing) that it will continue to be that way. I can't wait to explore the Big Apple alongside you._

 _Speaking of which, I know you doubted yourself when you applied for NYADA but I've always known in my heart that you were meant for that school. You are the greatest star, Kurt, and I'm not just saying that because you blew me away with that song when we both secretly listened to each other sing (my, weren't we cute?). You are going to impress every single person out there, be it at Vogue or NYADA or Broadway or wherever life takes you (us!). Watch out, New York City, Kurt Hummel is coming your way!_

 _We'll have the best of times in New York City. And remember, when you're on stage and those big bright lights are blinding you, I'm always gonna be in the front row cheering for you._

 _I hope this isn't one of the things you'll find tacky in a few years because it is so, so true: You are my teenage dream. You are everything I could have hoped for, and much, much more. I love you._

 _Yours forever,_

 _Blaine_

* * *

They didn't really mean for the books to be passed around over dinner but since they're still both sitting at the dining table, misty-eyed and lost for words, when Quinn and Puck come in with the food and Pam trails behind them with Beth in her arms, it is almost inevitable.

There's a lot of cooing and blushing, the latter on Kurt and Blaine's part, and then also a lot of relieved sighing because Beth almost spills her bottle of milk all over both of their yearbooks.

Blaine fixes her with a playful glare. "Young miss, if you ruin my boyfriend's love letter to me, I'm gonna withdraw all peek-a-boo privileges."

But because Blaine is as threatening as a baby duck, Beth just squeals at his words and makes grabby hands.

"You can play peek-a-boo with uncle Blaine tomorrow," Puck says when Beth finishes her bottle a minute later. "Right now, we're gonna get you ready for bed."

Quinn starts getting up with him but he lays a hand on her shoulder and tells her he can do it.

"I want to sing her to sleep tonight," Puck says softly and kisses Quinn on the forehead.

Quinn smiles at him, and when Puck carries Beth out of the room, she sighs.

"Is he feeling like his time with her is running out?" Pam asks knowingly.

"Yeah." Quinn nods. "But he's going to come visit a lot… it's just- I think I'll really miss him. He's been so good with Beth. And me."

Blaine reaches over the table to take her hand and Kurt lies his on top of theirs and squeezes.

"Whenever you're lonely, come visit us," Kurt says and gives Quinn his most reassuring smile.

"And don't worry, sweetheart," Pam says while she starts stacking the empty plates, "I'll always be there to babysit her if you need me."

She had announced over dinner that she found an apartment around the corner from Yale's acting department, which will make it easy for Quinn to just drop Beth off when she's going to school.

Quinn nods and her small smile actually splits into a grin. "But remember, no Fairy Grandmother moments, okay?"

Pam pouts and whines, "But I already have that blog layout ready to be launched." She turns to Kurt and Blaine. "You two, hurry up with the children, will ya?"

"Mom!" Blaine says with a blush. "We haven't even been dating a year."

The fact that Blaine's only reason for not discussing children is _that_ , makes Kurt's heart beat faster. Because one day, sure, they will probably have children and Pam is going to be just as embarrassingly adorable with them as she is with Beth.

And it reminds him of the talk he had with Burt that morning.

His father had insisted on taking him out for breakfast before school, claiming that he needed some quality time with his son before he disappeared to become famous, to which Kurt had scoffed (and secretly preened).

"How are things with Blaine?" his dad had asked once they were settled, and Kurt had smiled happily.

"Couldn't be better," he had responded, dragging his finger through the whipped cream on his hot chocolate. "We were looking at color patterns for our room in the apartment – well, once we have one – and we're so compatible I could just marry him." He had paused, the whipped cream sitting forgotten on his finger. "I mean, um. Once we're older, of course. Much older."

Burt had chuckled at his son's outburst of a mini-panic. "Don't worry, you'll feel it when the time is right."

"Isn't this the part where you tell me I should wait until I'm thirty like you did when we talked about sex?" Kurt had huffed with a half-serious, half-amused glare.

Burt had looked at him in silence for a few seconds, before shrugging. "Well, yeah, you're young. I'm not saying go do it now, you haven't started living together yet… you should definitely wait and see how that goes first." He had looked up at Kurt with a sly smile. "And it's not like you waited that long to have sex anyway."

"How do you even know that?!" Kurt had asked, blanching.

Burt had laughed at Kurt's horrified face. "If I didn't know before, your face just told me everything."

"Oh god."

Burt's grin had morphed into a wistful smile after a few more chuckles. "Your mom and I married when we were 22 so I'm in no position to tell you to wait until you're thirty… in fact, if I had waited that long, you wouldn't even have been born, Kurt."

Kurt had gulped, feeling his eyes well up with tears. "That doesn't happen to everyone, though."

"Of course it doesn't," Burt had said quickly. "But I'm just saying, you can't measure a good decision by how much time passed until you made it. And I don't want you to think I wouldn't approve of something you decide because it's 'too early.' I'll be proud of you anyway, Kurt."

"Thanks, dad."

"Hell, I'm so proud of you right now," Burt had added. "You're graduating tomorrow. You're going to New York, to the school of your dreams, and to work for a company you admire… you're doing it, Kurt. You're starting a life. You're still that little boy in my eyes, sometimes I forget how much of a man you already are."

"I'll always be that little boy for you, though," Kurt had said and a tear had slipped out despite his best efforts to keep it in. "And I'll always need my dad."

"I'll be right here," Burt had answered and he had teared up as well. "Just remember to call every now and then and not just when Rachel or Blaine drive you crazy, you hear me?"

"Promise." Kurt had smiled at his dad. "I'll call you so often, it's going to drive _you_ crazy."

So, first Burt, now Pam. Everybody is surprising him with their faith and open-minded stance on his and Blaine's relationship.

So maybe there's still a lot of time until Blaine and he are going to get married and have children of their own and be famous. But they're going to live together and work their way up to that stage as a team, get their first taste of adulthood in each other's company, and do their best to have each other's back, and Kurt thinks maybe it isn't too weird to acknowledge what waits for them eventually, if they keep going as strong as he hopes they will.

He lets Blaine and Pam bicker and doesn't say anything, instead watching them with a content smile on his face, and waits until Blaine takes him up to his room after they've cleaned up the kitchen.

"Do you want to have children later?" he asks bluntly, feeling his face warm a little but not enough to make him feel embarrassed.

Blaine seems surprised by the question. "Uh," he says timidly. "Yes. I love children. I'd really like to have children one day."

"Good," Kurt says happily. "Me, too."

"Kurt," Blaine says, visibly moved. "Don't you think we're…?"

"Too young?"

"Yeah."

"To have children – yes," Kurt says. "To talk about it – not at all."

Blaine grins happily. "Okay. I like that."

Kurt pushes him down on the bed a little and settles over him to kiss him deeply.

"By the way," he says between kisses. "I love that we both have Katy Perry references in our yearbook letters."

Blaine giggles against his lips. "I love how it wasn't planned." He leans up on his elbows and bites his lip, looking almost shy. "Do you think you'll look back on it in a few years and think it's tacky?"

Kurt gives him the once-over. "Blaine Anderson," he says. "Did you freak out about what to write?"

"No," Blaine says defensively but his tone gives him away. "I just… wanted to do right by you."

Kurt takes Blaine's face between his hands and bops their noses together before moving in for another kiss.

"You know you don't have to try, right?" he asks. "You could be as tacky as you wanted and I'd still love you."

Blaine smiles up at him. "Just don't forget that goes both ways," is all he says before he pulls Kurt flush against him and ends their conversation by not letting go of Kurt's mouth for a long while.

* * *

It has never felt so surreal to walk through the school hallways. Kurt knows it's irrational to feel like he won't ever roam the halls of McKinley again because he still has friends here, he will visit, hell, he will probably watch the New Directions perform for as long as they will exist… but it's graduation day, and Kurt's _active_ time at McKinley is ending.

Sure, there were times when he hated that school with a passion, but it shaped him as a person, too, and he made amazing friends in this building.

Blaine and Quinn haven't arrived yet and Kurt still has a little time left before they're meeting in front of the auditorium and he decides to stop by the choir room just in case it's not as empty as it should be on a morning without class.

Sure enough, he finds Rachel sitting in one of the front-row chairs, looking around and smiling at the walls.

"Ready for the big day?" Kurt asks in lieu of a greeting.

Rachel just smiles and pats the chair next to her. Kurt sits down obediently and takes in the room as well.

He has so many great memories here.

"Do you think we'll ever be the stars we claimed we were in here?" she asks quietly.

"I don't know." Kurt shrugs. "Maybe it doesn't matter."

"It doesn't?"

"Do you really want to be the next Barbra Streisand when there could be a Rachel Berry, no matter how successful she is?"

"Funny you should say that," Rachel comments and leans back in her chair. "There's a Funny Girl revival on Broadway. They're holding auditions in a month."

Kurt nods. "Yeah, I've read that. Do you want to go for it?"

"Yeah." Rachel smoothens the material of her skirt. "But I'm a little afraid I'm not cut out for it."

"Sure you are," Kurt says. "You'll never know if you don't try."

"So you think I should do it? Even if I'm just Rachel Berry?"

"There's no _just_ Rachel Berry," Kurt says with a chuckle. "And I was just saying you should make a name for yourself instead of comparing yourself to someone who came before you."

"Maybe you're right," Rachel says and gets up from the chair. "I think I'm going to choose a different song for my next NYADA audition."

"No Barbra?"

"Maybe," Rachel says, "but I might shake things up a bit. Challenge myself. I'm always so focused on the things I already can do. Maybe I should learn how to roll with the punches."

"That's what I'm talking about." Kurt smiles and gets up as well. "You'll do great, Rachel."

She hugs him. "So will you."

* * *

Before he knows it, he's standing next to Blaine in the auditorium, wearing the same long red robes as everyone else (though he couldn't be bothered to just give in to mainstream and added a scarab broach to the look), cheering for all his friends whose names get called by Figgins to collect their diplomas.

When they're all done with that, Mike gets handed a microphone and starts delivering his valedictorian speech.

"Dear McKinley class of 2012," he begins, "do you remember the day you started out at McKinley as a freshman?"

Kurt remembers. He hadn't known a lot of people, not having made any close friends at middle school, and he had felt too small in the big hallways.

"You didn't know yet that you would get to know the school well enough to know on which days to skip dessert in the cafeteria – Tuesdays and Fridays," Mike continues, earning some cheers from random people in the crowd. "You didn't know the classes you would come to love or hate, didn't know anyone in the clubs you were going to join. You didn't know that you would make friends here, maybe the best friends you've ever had."

Kurt sees Rachel turn around to throw him a wink, and he smiles back.

"You didn't know you would have a crush on some of these people. I know in my case, I would have never thought I'd fall in lovewith the girl from Homeroom who dressed in black and always looked like she would never in a million years go out with a Football player," Mike says and grins at Tina in the audience who blows him a kiss. "I guess I got lucky. Maybe you did, too."

Blaine takes Kurt's hand in his and Kurt throws him a quick smile.

Mike moves on to thanking all of their teachers and fellow classmates for making the time at McKinley so special, and by the time he addresses the Glee club in particular, most of them are a mess.

"Glee club wasn't really popular when I joined," Mike says, and a few people in the audience laugh. "Okay, I guess it still isn't very popular but that doesn't really matter, does it? Whether or not something is popular doesn't determine its real coolness factor. It's how much you love it that really makes you enjoy it, and if McKinley has taught me anything it's that your hate really says a lot more about _you_ than about the thing you hate."

This part is very obviously a "fuck you" to all of their tormentors, and Kurt loves Mike for it.

"I loved Glee club, even though I couldn't sing," Mike says, eliciting another round of laughter. "I know, I know, it sounds ridiculous. But I learned how to sing, and even before I did, I enjoyed Glee way more than any other club because those people just let me be _me_. I danced and nobody judged me for it, in fact, they _needed_ me to dance for the performances."

Kurt knows how important this support must have been for Mike's decision to enroll at a dance academy instead of following his father's dreams for him, too, so that part is twice as powerful to him, and he feels himself tear up.

"The Glee club has become a second family to me," Mike says, and his voice breaks a little as he addresses them in particular. "I love you guys; you helped me be who I am now. And I hope this won't be the last time we're on a stage together."

Kurt can even hear Santana sob behind him but he's not one to judge, the tissue that Blaine hands him clutched tightly in his hand after he uses it to quickly wipe his eyes.

"There you go, a speech for the five people you really care about and the rest of the monkeys who are graduating," Blaine whispers to Kurt teasingly, though he is tearing up as well.

"Shut up," Kurt groans quietly. "I'm known to be more cynical on the outside than I really am on the inside."

"Aren't you glad to be graduating, though?" Blaine asks and snakes his hand out of his robe to grasp Kurt's. "We're going to New York in a week!"

Kurt nods.

"I am really glad," he says and turns a little to look at Blaine, who stares back at him with a look that can really only be described as loving. "I can't wait to go to New York with Rachel and you. But I'm also sad to leave this all behind."

And he really is.

Because, when you stop and think about it, Kurt Hummel's had a pretty good year.

* * *

 ** _A/N: The end... dun dun dun. Once again, thank you! If you want to check out other stories (not all of them are on FF) or talk or something, I'd be super happy if you followed my Tumblr notthetoothfairy. :) The ask box is always open and I take prompts, too, so let your imagination run wild. :P_**


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